Northern Darks
by YamiKatie
Summary: YGO and Northern Lights crossover. (Known as 'The Golden Compass' to US readers). Ryou, Malik, Yugi and their yamis become trapped in the world of Northern Lights. What will happen and will they ever get home? If you haven't read the book don't worry.
1. The Big Bang

(A/N: Grrrr. I can't believe ff.net has got rid of the double slash marks and asterisks that my fics are filled with. Thanks to them, half of my fics don't even make sense anymore, as the speech is all muddled up with the rest of the text. So of course, I have to go through ALL my fics and replace the slash marks with brackets. Stupid website…it'll probably fix that error five minutes after I've re-uploaded all my fics, irony being what it is.

I've called this fic "Northern Darks" because it is a sort-of pun on the title "Northern Lights" and this is going to be a crossover between Northern Lights and Yu-gi-oh. American readers will know the book by the title "The Golden Compass" and it is written by Philip Pullman.

This is Ryou centred, with Bakura and Malik as other main characters.)

Ryou = light, Bakura = dark, Yugi = light, Yami = dark

Relationships etc:

Bakura still abuses Ryou, who doesn't tell anyone because he thinks his yami doesn't mean to be so horrible, and 'just loses his temper' every now and then. Having said that, this is not a standard abuse or abuseapology fic. It may seem like that at times, but its not, I promise. Malik is as almost as evil as Bakura, and the two are best friends. Malik doesn't seem to mind Ryou, but he knows how Bakura treats him and doesn't say anything because it 'isn't any of his business.' Bakura and Malik both hate Yami, who dislikes Bakura but puts up with Malik (barely). Everybody hates Yami Malik, and he hates everybody back, especially Malik, Bakura and Yami. Yami and Yugi are together, but there is only a few small amounts of yaoi in this fic.

Summary: While having an argument, Bakura, Malik and Yami create a force of conflicting energy so big it tears through the 'curtain' separating the worlds and they find themselves trapped in the world of Northern Lights. What will happen? Will they ever get home?

Chapter One: The Big Bang

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or Northern Lights

……………

Bakura peered out of the window, and muttered angrily under his breath. "Lazy baka. Where the hell is he?"

His hikari looked up from the book he was reading. White bangs fell haphazardly over his pale face, and he shook them away impatiently. "Yami, that's the fourth time you've looked out of that window," he said cautiously. "Are you waiting for anyone?"

Bakura gave a low growl. "Malik said he'd be here five minutes ago. NOONE keeps me waiting and lives. NOONE!" His hair was even more spiky than usual, and when he spoke Ryou could hear the rage building up in his voice.

Ryou made a neutral noise and continued reading.

……..

"He's still not here!" Bakura ranted. Idly, he pulled out a knife and pressed it into his long, slender finger. Red liquid welled up and he sucked at it hungrily.

Ryou sighed. "Please. You know I don't like it when you do that." There was the hint of a plea in his voice.

It was the last straw. Bakura spun around, eager to have something to vent his anger on. "I don't need you telling me what to do!" he snapped. Grabbing his hikari by the shoulders, Bakura shook him hard. Ryou stayed silent. He didn't say anything; even when Bakura dug his nails in so deep they drew blood.

Eventually Bakura stopped. He gazed, interested, at his bloody fingers and licked them, uttering a soft moan of satisfaction. The gruesome sight made Ryou want to shudder, but he knew better than to attract his yami's attention again. When he got like this, it was usually best to co-operate and hope he got bored.

Pushing his face so it almost touched Ryou's, the spirit of the Ring pushed a single blood soaked finger towards his host's mouth. "Come on, hikari. Try some. You know you want to."

Ryou's soft brown eyes stared back at him unhappily.

Losing interest, Bakura pushed him away and started playing with another one of his daggers, twirling it backwards and forwards.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang; breaking the uneasy silence and making Ryou jump slightly. "That's probably Malik. Go answer it, and ask him to come up here," Bakura ordered, his eyes never leaving his dagger. He might have been talking to the wall. "It'd better be him…" he murmured softly.

Ryou heaved a silent sigh of relief and went downstairs, almost running in his anxiety. Bakura didn't hurt him so much now, anyway. Only when he got 'in the mood.' Ryou was still hoping his yami would change. Everyone seemed to think he had. They said Bakura was trying to turn over a new leaf. So why did he feel so confused? Ryou sighed miserably. He was doing it again: questioning his yami's actions. He always felt guilty when he did this, because he was sure that Bakura was genuinely trying to be nicer to him. After all, he couldn't help it if he lost his temper now and then, could he?

Ryou had continued to make excuses for Bakura when Yuugi noticed the fresh bruises. It was my fault. I deserved it. It's not Bakura's fault. Deep down, Ryou knew that Bakura hadn't really changed, and was just the same as before, but he refused to accept this. He was sure that there was some good in Bakura somewhere, and that he deserved another chance.

Ryou opened the door, hoping it was Malik.

"Oh…hello."

It was Yugi and Yami. Yugi's face fell almost comically at Ryou's obvious disappointment. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, no," Ryou said hastily. "Come in." They followed him into the lounge. For a while they made small talk, discussing harmless subjects like T.V, school and books they had read recently. All were careful to steer clear of subjects concerning Millennium Items or Bakura. Ryou was beginning to relax. He wondered why he had ever thought that it was safer to keep at a distance from people. Yugi was so easy to talk to. He mostly ignored Yami, feeling strangely embarrassed at talking to any yami other than his own. Besides, he knew Yami was still unconvinced about Bakura.

"Ryou?" Ryou noticed with a start that Yami had been trying to talk to him. He blushed slightly.

"Sorry?"

Yami looked at him strangely. "I said, what's that on your shoulder?"

Ryou looked down to see a few drops of dried blood on his shirt. "Oh." Underneath the shirt, the marks of Bakura's finger stood out in flaming red.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Well?" he said expectantly.

"I cut myself earlier," Ryou lied flatly. He avoided Yami's eyes.

Yugi seemed to accept this, but Yami still looked slightly suspicious. He started to say something, but was cut off by the sound of Bakura running down the stairs.

"Yadonushi!" he called. "Why didn't you bring Malik up? And-Pharaoh?!"

"Tomb Robber." Yami's face was carefully expressionless.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Bakura demanded.

"Ryou let me in," Yami said quietly. His voice was calm, but they could all hear the effort it was taking him to keep his composure. On his forehead, the Eye of Ra flickered ominously.

Bakura glared at his hikari, who cringed and shrank back into the chair. "Just get out, Pharaoh." Ryou was slightly relieved - Bakura was in a good mood. Now all Yami had to do was to leave quickly and quietly, without making a fuss…

"I've got a right to be here!"

…Damn.

…………

Malik walked casually up to the house. He could hear angry shouting from inside. The door had been left ajar, so after a quick look behind his shoulder, Malik went straight in. He found himself in the middle of a flaming row between the Thief and the Pharaoh. Malik sized up the situation in an instant, and smirked to himself. This looks interesting…

Bakura was saying, "It's none of your business what I do to my hikari anyway!" Privately, Malik agreed with him.

There was a nasty silence, broken by Yugi tugging at Yami's arm. "Come on aibou, let's just go home…"

"NO!" Yami roared. Malik had never seen the Pharaoh so out-of-control before, and he looked on in interest. The Eye of Ra now showed up clearly on the Pharaoh's forehead, which was a good sign that he was really, really angry. Yugi was looking worried, but not half as worried as Ryou. When his yami got this angry, a lot of people usually got sent to the Shadow Realm. It was enough to make anyone nervous.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" Bakura screamed. His eyes flashed crimson and he took a step forward.

"SO HAVE I!" Yami yelled back. The Millennium Puzzle began to glow. Malik's eyes narrowed and his fingers strayed, almost casually, towards his Millennium Rod. Out of nowhere, a yellow beam of light came from the Puzzle and streaked towards Bakura. Malik pulled out the Rod and sent purple energy hurtling towards Yami, just as Bakura prepared to counter the Puzzle with the Ring's powers. Everyone watched, open-mouthed, as the three beams raced towards each other, and met with a deafening BANG!

There was a flash of light, and suddenly the were flying through space…through time…through worlds…

And everything turned black.


	2. Strangers

Chapter Two: Strangers.

A/N: First and foremost, I would like to say thank you for all the reviews I've received. I never dreamed that a yu-gi-oh and northern lights/golden compass crossover would be such a popular idea. So thank you all!

Secondly, in this chapter you get meet two new people! Everyone start clapping for: Will and Lyra, from the world of Northern Lights! Yay!!! These two people are the main characters of Northern Lights/The Golden Compass, so obviously I HAD to include them. Devoted fans of Northern Lights may find this chap a little bit irritating, as it is sort of introducing Lyra and Will, and explaining about dæmons and so forth, but keep reading! I can promise you that chap 3 is FULL of action! Lyra and Will **are** main characters in this fic, but I will still be concentrating on Ryou, Bakura and Malik first and foremost. Especially Ryou. Yummy yummy…Okay! I'm sorry. Here's chapter two for you. Enjoy!

Nani?: what?

Bonkotsu: mediocre or common

Hai: yes

Baka: bastard

……………

"What did that girl say this place was called? Cittàgazze?"

"Ci'gàzze, yeah," Lyra replied. She stroked the soft, silky fur of her dæmon, Pantalaimon, and he purred contentedly. Like all dæmons whose children hadn't reached puberty yet, he could change into different animals at will, and at the moment he was a cat. Once they reached adulthood, dæmons lost the ability to change, and stayed in one shape forever.

Will took out his mother's credit card, and gazed at it with a sense of longing. All it would take was one cut with the subtle knife, and he could be back in his world again, with his mother. But it would also accepting that he had killed someone…In his mind's eye he could see the man falling backwards down the stairs, and the sickening crunch that followed. He couldn't forget the way the man's head was bent unnaturally to one side, and the dreadful twitching of his limbs…

I didn't mean to, he thought angrily. Besides, he broke into my house, and was threatening my mother. Will's resolve strengthened at this. He had been defending her, and he knew he would kill a hundred more men for her if he had to.

Ignorant of the thoughts that were going through Will's head, Lyra scratched Pantalaimon's back lazily. He turned into a mouse and ran up her arm, to whisper in her ear. "Are we still going to look for Dust?" he asked quietly. "Or should we help Will find his father first?"

"I dunno. We could ask the alethiometer about Will's father, I suppose. That would help us. Anyway, no one knows what Dust is, anyway. We could be the first to find out what it actually does. Hey Pan, what do _you_ think Dust is?"

Her dæmon turned into a squirrel and curled up near her chest, trying to share her warmth, and his fluffy tail tickled her bare arms. Bringing his paws up to wash his face, he said slowly, "it's elementary particles, remember? Those people at the cocktail party said so."

"Yeah, I know," Lyra said impatiently, "but what I meant was-" She stopped as he turned into a tiger and growled menacingly. He walked forwards a few paces and snarled again. Dæmons could only go a few metres away from their human's with the exception of witches' dæmons. Lyra knew that Serafina Pekkala, the queen of a witch clan in the far north, could fly miles and miles away from her dæmon. Lyra couldn't imagine being that far away from her beloved Pan. It wouldn't seem right.

Lyra scrambled forward and put a hand on Pantalaimon's shoulder, calming him slightly. "What can you hear?"

Pantalaimon's sensitive ears twitched back and forth. "There are people nearby."

Will jumped up, alarmed. "We've been wandering this world for days, and we've hardly met anyone. Where did these people come from all of a sudden?"

"Let's go find out," Lyra suggested. Packing their bags quickly, they walked to the edge of a small wood, where Pantalaimon was waiting for them.

………

Ryou sat up, rubbing his head. "N-Nani?" Looking around, he saw that they were lying in the middle of a clearing in a forest. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, and was shining directly in his face. He realised this was what had woken him up. The ground beneath him was mostly stones, with a few patches of yellowing grass trying to grow here and there, and there were a couple of interesting looking beetles trying to climb on him. Ryou shook them off carefully.

The others woke up, rubbing their heads as he had done. "Yami?" the white-haired hikari asked tentatively.

Bakura stood up and dusted himself off. "All right, I have no idea what has happened but I know that somehow this is all YOUR fault, Pharaoh."

Yami glared at him, but was distracted by Yugi snivelling into his leather jacket. "W-where are we? Aibou, we're all going to die!"

"Aww, don't worry Yugi. I'll look after you." Yami put his arm around Yugi. Bakura threw him a disgusted look, but said nothing.

Malik anxiously put his hand into his pocket to see if the Rod was still there, and in one piece. Feeling it's familiar shape, he took it out, feeling relieved. "So. Where are we? Anyone know?"

"Shadow Realm?" Bakura offered.

Yami rolled his eyes. "Hai, this looks exactly like the Shadow Realm to me."

"Are you mocking me?"

"…"

"Yarou!"

"Bonkotsu baka!"

"How-how dare you! I am the Pharaoh! Therefore you will address me with respect, you puny common little Thi-"

"Both of you, uresei!" Malik hissed. He cocked his head to one side like a dog, obviously listening hard. "Someone's coming!"

The group tensed, and everybody huddled a bit closer together instinctively. "I'll go have a look," the Egyptian offered. When no one tried to stop him, he got up and walked towards the surrounding vegetation. Parting some bushes revealed…

"Aaaah!"

"Aaaah!"

Malik stepped back to reveal a boy and girl standing in front of him. Hi attention, however, was focused not on them but on the very large tiger next to them. The Ring and Puzzle glowed for a second as the two yamis quickly returned to their respective items. There was a moment of tense silence as the two strange groups stared at each other.

Without realising it, Will's hand had gone instinctively to the subtle knife in his belt, as he gaped at the people in front of him. They were teenagers, like him, probably about sixteen or seventeen. The boy nearest him had messy, dark blond of a similar shade to Lyra's, and it hung about his face untidily. His blond hair contrasted sharply with his dark skin, and he was wearing gold jewellery on his arms. But it was his eyes that unsettled Will the most. They were a deep purple, and there was a flicker of irony in them as he stared calmly back. He had the look of someone who knew how to take care of himself.

Looking past him Will could see two other boys, also with unusual appearances. The taller one was pale and skinny; his white hair had a tint of lavender in it and hung down in spiky bangs. His eyes were a gentle brown, and at first glance he seemed quiet, almost timid. But as their eyes met he thought they flashed red, just for a moment. A strange necklace hung around his neck, with five gold points similar in design to the darker boy's earrings.

The last one was small, probably only coming up to Will's shoulders at most, and his hair was even more unusual, as it stuck out at peculiar angles, and was various shades of blond, red and black. He also wore a strange necklace around his neck, but it was shaped like a 3-D triangle. _A pyramid,_ Will thought, remembering his maths lessons. _What peculiar people._ He felt slightly unsettled. _And they have weird eyes._

………..

Malik's violet eyes ran over Will and Lyra, to rest finally on Pantalaimon. His gaze took in the two missing fingers on Will's left hand, and the way he held the knife with the easy grace of someone who knew how to use it. _A dangerous enemy, that one._ The girl standing slightly behind him had similar hair to his own-dark blond, unkempt. She met his gaze with determination, and the tiger at her side growled menacingly, but made no move to attack.

…………

Will stepped forward, hands outstretched in a gesture of peace. "Hello," he said cautiously. "I don't know if you speak English, but my name is Will Parry. This is my friend Lyra Silvertongue, and her dæmon Pantalaimon." He waited for an answer.

The tri-coloured boy whispered something to one of his companions, casting nervous glances at Will as he did so.

"Ryou-kun?" Yugi murmured in Japanese. "English people say their surnames _after_ their first names, don't they?" He had studied English keenly at his school but had never thought he would ever use it. His friend was half English after all, so he would know.

"Hai.. So introduce yourself as Yugi Motou, not Motou Yugi."

"I thought so. Huh, English is a bizarre language."

Ryou shrugged, and raised dark eyes to the boy in front of him. "Um, hello. My name is Ryou Bakura. And this is Malik Ishtar and Yugi Motou."

"Hey! I wanted to introduce myself!" Yugi protested.

"Whatever. No need to spaz out about it."

The Puzzle holder gave him a blank look. "Spaz?"

Ryou groaned and mumbled a few choice Japanese words under his breath.

"Oh, _that."_

Lyra stepped forward in barely concealed curiosity. "Excuse me for askin' but where's your dæmons?"

"Demons?" Yugi echoed. He looked slightly confused. "We don't have any demons."

Will tried to explain. "A dæmon is your soul. It takes the form of an animal. I en't from her world, so I en't got one, but in her world everyone has a dæmon. Have you got one?"

There was a silence during which it was obvious the boys were thinking hard, then Yugi said slowly, "Is a dæmon like a y-"

Ryou interrupted him. "No, we don't have dæmons either," he said calmly. Pantalaimon looked at him, then changed into a wildcat and leapt into Lyra's arms.

"You all have dæmons," he said quietly. "I know you do. Inside you."

The three boys openly gaped at him, as he changed in the blink of an eye into a small brown moth, and fluttered around Lyra's head. Will found their astonishment quite amusing, but gave no sign of it. When he spoke, it was in a friendly tone. "We've got a fire and food nearby. Would you like to join us for the night?"

Ryou met Malik's eyes with a questioning look, and Malik shrugged.

"Okay."

…………

Whatever happens, don't forget to REVIEW!!! Preferably after each chapter, but I don't really mind.

I eat reviews for breakfast. With ketchup. That's why I'm so tall. Actually, no, I lie. I'm only 5" 4." Which is probably quite short for a 15-year-old, but there you go.


	3. Battle

Chapter Three: Battle

(A/N: Before anyone tells me, YES I **KNOW** that the Ring is the only Millennium Item that can bring Duel Monsters to life, and that the Puzzle can't. But in this fic Yami taught himself how to do it cos he was a bit annoyed that the Tomb Robber could do something which he himself couldn't. Also, in this fic, Yami is pretty skilled in the art of healing. See? I have all the little details of this fic worked out. smirks smugly I'm so clever.)

…………

Ryou woke up in the morning feeling considerably refreshed. He had stayed up late into the night talking to his new friends. By the time everyone had fallen asleep, Ryou had learnt a lot about Will and Lyra, and they had learnt a little about him. Ryou had found out that Lyra was from Oxford, her dæmon was called Pantalaimon, and she had crossed into this world on a bridge built by her father, Lord Asriel. Will came from a different world, where they didn't have dæmons. He was in hiding from some men who were out to get him and his mother, who Will had left at his old piano teacher's house, because he thought it was one of the few places where she would be safe.

The only things Will and Lyra had learnt about Ryou were that he was sixteen, he liked reading books and his favourite food was cream puffs. Ryou had never been a very talkative person, and he didn't really have many hobbies, as Bakura dominated most of his life. He felt a bit uncomfortable not telling them about the yamis, and knew Yugi felt the same way. But it was probably for the best. The less people that knew about Bakura, the better.

He leaned over and poked Malik, who was still half-asleep. "I'm going for a walk, OK?" he whispered. The Egyptian mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over.

…….

Ryou walked slowly through the trees. The sweet birdsong and gentle swishing sounds the oak trees made when their branches rubbed against each other filled him with a great sense of peacefulness and tranquillity. The deep carpet of soft brown leaves shifted and crackled under his feet, and-"Ooof!" He had walked into solid rock. Ryou rubbed his forehead and looked up. The huge rock face in front of him went up for hundreds of metres, and, stepping back, he realised the forest was at the foot of a massive group of cliffs. _Wow._

Ryou sat down on a nearby boulder, slippery with moss, and gazed around him in wonder. Rummaging in his pockets produced a biscuit left over from last night. It was starting to go soft but he munched it all the same.

All of a sudden, the biscuit was snatched from his hands. "Hey!" Ryou protested. The thief cackled and crammed the food into it's mouth, slobbering disgustingly. The creature was about half as tall as Ryou, with a scrawny body and big leathery wings. When it opened it's mouth he caught sight of suprisingly sharp teeth, which it bared at him in a grin.

Ryou felt around in his belt for a dagger and pulled one out, brandishing it threateningly. The creature let out a high pitched squeal at the sight of the weapon. Ryou raised an eyebrow. "Is that the best you can do?"

He fell silent as a similar squeal, but magnified a hundred times, answered the call, ringing through the cliffs and bouncing off the cliff. He turned around, to see about a hundred other bat-like creatures flying towards him. They did not look friendly. Ryou gulped. "Uh oh…" Turning, he ran back through the trees towards his friends, with the awful things pursuing him.

………….

"Here he is!" Lyra looked up as Ryou burst upon them, panting heavily.

"Run! Run for your lives!" he gasped dramatically. "They're coming!"

"Who are?" Lyra asked him. Ryou described the creature to her, and she frowned. "It sounds like cliff-ghasts. I heard stories about 'em. They're weak on their own, but hundreds of 'em, angry, is totally different."

Malik pulled out the Millennium Rod. "Sounds like trouble," he observed.

"Sounds like a battle!" Bakura exclaimed happily. Ryou had been too tired to offer much resistance, so he had taken control quite easily.

Will looked at Yugi. "Do you need a weapon?"

Yugi shook his head. "I'll be fine," he answered confidently. Bakura thought he saw the Puzzle glow briefly, and knew Yugi was going to let mou hitori no Yugi do the fighting. Which was probably a good thing, as the Pharaoh's pet hadn't killed anything bigger than a spider in his life, and would probably faint at the sight of blood. Bakura smirked at this thought.

"Prepare yourselves everyone!" Will yelled. "They're coming to attack!"

………..

The next half an hour or so was total pandemonium. The air was filled with shouts and screams and Egyptian curses.

Yami had his deck out, and was using the Puzzle to bring his monsters to life. Will and Lyra watched in amazement as a life-size Dark Magician appeared, and started beating the senses out of the nearest cliff-ghasts.

"What is THAT?" Will gaped at it in astonishment.

"Don't worry, it's on our side," Yami reassured him. Will didn't look too convinced.

Bakura saw what Yami had done, and rolled his eyes. "Trust the Pharaoh to find a way to fight without getting his royal hands dirty," he commented to no one in particular. He and Malik were fighting back to back, carving a long circle of bodies around them. It was a mesmerising, if truly gruesome sight. Ryou was ambidextrous, so Bakura had a long white knife in each hand, and was hacking off heads left, right and centre. Malik had turned the Millennium Rod into a dagger, and was fighting with that.

Ryou, who was watching silently from his soul room, could feel his yami's mounting excitement at the masses of blood and gore around them, and knew that Bakura was about one second away from charging in and drinking all the blood he could find.

Bakura plunged a knife into the chest of a particularly over-eager cliff-ghast, and blood gushed out, all over the knife. Bakura yanked the knife out and licked it. "Blood!" And with that, Bakura's last remaining shred of self-control went. Malik, glancing over at his companion, saw the bloodlust in Bakura's eyes and knew instantly what had happened. For a second he hesitated, wondering if he could stop him, then realised that nothing he would do would make any difference, and continued fighting determinedly.

But that second's hesitation cost him dear. A single cliff-ghast, braver than the rest, flapped towards him and sank it's sharp teeth into his arm. Pain shot up Malik's body, and he grabbed the offending creature's neck in one hand and started squeezing, angry beyond belief. "I'll teach you to bite me, you little…" Malik's sheer fury caused him to let his mental guard fall, and, sensing his anger, Yami Malik came to the surface of Malik's mind and took control.

"DIE!!!" The Eye of Ra glowed brightly on his forehead as he slashed at anything within reach. Some of the cliff-ghasts actually retreated, sensing his terrible rage.

……….

Meanwhile, just as Ryou had known he would, Bakura charged into the mass of yelling, screeching creatures, waving his knives wildly. "Blood!"

He had managed to kill than twenty of them when it happened: a large group of cliff-ghasts grabbed his arms and legs, lifting him into the air. His bloodlust faded away as fear took over. Bakura struggled desperately but to no avail. "MAAAAAALIK!!!" he screamed. "HEEEEEEELP!"

Yami Malik paused and looked up; he see Bakura held at least five metres in the air, and rising rapidly. His sheer astonishment made him throw back his head and laugh insanely, and Malik took advantage of this moment to mentally knock him aside and regain control. Yami Malik hadn't totally blocked him out, and he had watched his yami's actions with rage and a strange sense of helplessness.

But now he was back in control of his body. He gripped the Millennium Rod, and it glowed brightly as he commanded: Release him! Under the control of the Rod, the cliff-ghasts let go of Bakura instantly.

Bakura let out a shriek as he plummeted seven and a half metres to earth. He landed on the ground and blacked out instantly.

Malik started running to his fallen friend, but suddenly stopped. "Huh?" For no reason that he could see, the cliff-ghasts were retreating!

"The witches are here!" he heard Lyra cry. Looking up, he saw about twenty young women clad in black silk soaring overhead, shooting arrows quickly and accurately into the mass of cliff-ghasts. The creatures fled, knowing that they were out numbered.

Lyra came running over. "Malik! It's going to be all right! The witches are here!" As she said this, one of them swooped down gracefully on her cloud pine branch, and landed next to them. "Serafina!" Lyra exclaimed, giving her a hug. Serafina returned it, and then turned to Malik. He blushed slightly under her penetrating gaze, and then wondered at himself. Serafina looked almost exactly like a beautiful young woman in her early twenties. Her eyes were jade green, and were the only part of her that betrayed her real age (around 500), because they were filled with an inexplicable sadness, as if she had seen so many sad things in her long life that she could never be truly happy again. There was a little chain of red flowers in her fair hair.

"I am Serafina Pekkala, queen of a clan of witches in the far north." She looked at Bakura's prone form. "Is your companion still alive?"

Malik's heart nearly stopped. He stooped down and placed two fingers on Bakura's neck. The faint pulse almost caused him to faint in relief. "Yeah. Unconscious, but alive."

Will and Yami joined them. Yami glanced down at Bakura's twitching body. "My Ra." His eyes softened around the edges, and he seemed to slouch.

Yugi looked curiously at Serafina. "Excuse me, but who are you?" Malik had noticed the change, but no one else appeared to. However, Serafina looked at Yugi a little oddly before replying. "My name is Serafina. I am a witch-queen."

"Wow." Yugi paused. "Um, shouldn't we get Ryou some medical attention? He looks like he needs it."

"There is an inn about two hours walk from here," Serafina said quietly. "I will come with you; I have valuable knowledge of herbs and potions that will help him recover."

Yugi nodded, satisfied, but Will asked, "How are we going to get Ryou there? It's not like he can walk."

"I'll carry him," Malik said harshly. He bent down and lifted Ryou's limp body up as easily as if he were a rag doll. Will raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

…………

(A/N: Did that make Malik sound gay? I don't think so, but just in case of any doubt – Malik feels guilty 'cos his yami took over, and blames himself for what happened to Bakura. Kinda like Ryou and all his angsty feelings, really.)


	4. Malik, alone

Chapter Four: Malik, alone.

In this chapter Malik is going to be the main character, as Ryou and Bakura are still unconscious.

Review! Review and make me happy! Um, no pressure to review or anything, by the way… sheepish grin never mind…

Oh yeah, and in case you didn't realise: the title is NOT just completely random- there is actually a chapter in The Amber Spyglass called "Mary, alone." And I thought it might be kinda appropriate to twist this title.

Yami no Yugi no Jinkaku: Yugi's dark personality

Omote no Malik: The surface/front/exterior of Malik. 'Omote' is the proper word to use where many people use 'hikari,' but I'm so used to the word hikari that I generally use that instead.

Uresei: shut up

Warnings: yaoi references and bad language

………….

Two hours later, the group arrived at the inn. It was a bit run-down for their tastes, but it would do. Will and Lyra went to the desk to ask about rooms, while Malik, Yami and Serafina sat down on some chairs.

Yami still found it hard to believe that Malik had carried Ryou all those miles without complaining or asking for a rest. Yami had asked once if he should take Ryou so Malik could get some rest, but the glare he received had been answer enough.

Will and Lyra came back, and Will said, "the woman says there is an empty room with two single beds available, another room further down with two beds."

Serafina interrupted him. "I will take the room with two beds. Ryou will need peace and quiet if he is to recover quickly."

Will nodded. "That leaves three beds for the four of us. Bags I get a bed."

"Me too!" Yami and Lyra spoke in unison.

Malik came out of his daydream and looked up. "What's happening?"

"You are sleeping on the floor," Yami informed him smugly.

Malik's eyes widened. "No way! I am NOT sleeping in the same room as you, and I am NOT sleeping on the floor!"

"What's wrong with sleeping on the floor anyway?" wondered Will.

Yami smirked. "Malik has an Obsessive Cleaning Disorder," he explained. "He'd probably have a heart attack if he slept on the floor."

Will looked slightly worried. "Maybe I should sleep on the floor."

Yami smirked again. "Don't worry, it'll do him good." Malik glared at him.

They walked up to the stairs in silence, until Malik turned to Yami. "I may have a slight case of O.C.D but, unlike you, I am lucky enough not to have O.H.F.D instead."

The Pharaoh looked baffled. "What?"

Malik smiled nastily. "Obsessive Hikari Fucking Disorder."

Yami's face turned as red as his eyes, and he punched Malik hard. Malik promptly punched him back.

"Hey, you two! Stop that!" Lyra unlocked the door, and Pantalaimon flew into the room as a bat. Malik carefully handed Ryou over to Serafina, who took the other key from Lyra and started walking to her room.

The room weren't as bad as they all thought they would be, but they came pretty close. The three beds took up most of the space, but there was a worn-out sofa and a small television set in the corner, and a door to the right led off to the bathroom.

Will stepped forward and dumped his rucksack on the bed, which groaned and sank down a few more inches. Malik looked at him. "Aren't you going to unpack?"

Will shrugged, unconcerned. "I guess." He pulled out a few spare clothes and tossed them half-heartedly into the small wardrobe.

Malik practically had a seizure. "You can't do that!" He grabbed the clothes, smoothed out the wrinkles, folded them neatly and piled them carefully in size order, all in the space of about five seconds.

Will just stared. "Ooookay…"

Malik walked over to the sofa. "And I'm still not going to sleep on the floor," he added, sitting down with his head resting on his arm. A few seconds later, he was asleep. Smirking, Will gave him a push. Malik rolled off the sofa and onto the floor, still asleep. Will grinned.

"Oops."

………

It was a week later. Yami cautiously approached Malik, who was sitting under an ancient oak tree outside the inn, gazing into space. "Hey, they're serving lunch now. Do you want anything?"

Malik looked up. "Oh, it's Yugi no yami no jinkaku. Go away."

Yami frowned. "Why can't you just call me Yami? 'Yugi no yami no jinkaku' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Or should I call you 'omote no Malik'?"

The omote in question glared at him. "Uresei, _Pharaoh."_ One of the things which Malik really hated was being reminded of his other half.

Yami gave up. "Fine. Be like that. See if I care." He walked off in a huff. _Ra, I wish Ryou and the Thief would just wake up. That stupid Tomb Keeper is so grouchy without the Thief around. He's taking this worse than I thought._

………

Pantalaimon flew back to Lyra's shoulder, in his owl shape. "I didn't know Yugi and Malik spoke Japanese. I couldn't understand any of it."

Lyra was puzzled. "Why would they speak Japanese? Why can't they just use English?" Her eyes grew round. "They-they must have something they want to hide…"

…….

The beautiful scenery was lost on Malik as he gazed, unseeing, around him. He missed Ryou and Bakura so much, but wasn't going to admit it to that arrogant, self-loving Pharaoh. Even though he knew that Yami hadn't killed his father, he still hated him. He couldn't imagine talking to Will or Lyra about any of his feelings, as he knew neither of them would understand, and besides, they were quickly becoming fast friends with Yugi and Yami.

For a second he debated trying to talk to the witch. But her gaze has unnerved him; he felt as though she could right inside him. He didn't want to think about all the things she would see. _Like him…_

Malik was sure that if he had been able to hold his yami back, Bakura wouldn't have been hurt. He traced the scar on his arm thoughtfully. Even though Yami Malik hadn't talked to him for weeks, Malik could still feel his presence at the back of his mind.

__

Malik walked up to the door of his yami's soul room. Like Ryou's it had bars on it. He pushed his face up to them and scanned the room. It was empty. Suddenly Yami Malik's face appeared from nowhere. ((Boo.))

Malik flinched and stepped back slightly.

His yami leered at him. ((Did I scare you, my little hikari?))

The omote ignored him, focusing on reinforcing the mental barriers around the door, making it as hard as possible for his darker half to break through. He tested them gently, and was satisfied. Although the guards were strong, they would be severely weakened if he became angry. His anger would eat through the barriers like acid eating through wood, allowing his yami control.

Yami Malik watched him work with amusement. ((Why do you work so hard to hold me back? It would be easier just let me out.))

(Never,) his lighter half replied. He walked away from the soul room, with Yami Malik's insane laughter ringing in his ears.

There didn't seem to be much point though. Ever since he had found out the truth - that it was Yami Malik who had killed his father and not Yami, Malik had felt his life lacked real meaning. He had nothing left to achieve. The most he could do was keep _him_ locked away, where he couldn't kill anyone else. Even that was beginning to seem pointless. What good would it do? He couldn't hold him back forever.

Malik briefly considered suicide. _No one understands what it's like having **him** living in your head._ A thought struck him like a thunderbolt. How often did Ryou consider suicide? Malik knew he had made at least one attempt. This thought disturbed him. He had always taken it for granted that Bakura hurt Ryou; had never considered it his business to interfere. _Wait. Am I comparing myself to Ryou? Or to Bakura?_

But there ARE differences, he argued to himself. Bakura would never let Ryou die. _Because he needs his body._ That's not the point, he thought crossly. My yami doesn't care about me at all. Besides, it's all a question of mental strength. I'm stronger than he is, and Bakura is stronger than Ryou. This thought didn't console him as much as it was meant to. _Bakura just mentally manipulates Ryou into thinking he is weaker than he really is. Ryou could push Bakura back if he really wanted to._

He thought of Yugi and Yami, and growled. "What right have they got to be so happy with each other?" he said out loud.

He extended the Millennium Rod's blade and toyed with it. _I'm so alone._ The thought surprised him as soon as it had been formed. It was self-pitying in the extreme, and he wasn't normally given to self pity.

((You're never alone,)) a voice whispered maliciously. ((I'm always here.))

Malik lashed out mentally, almost without realising it.

When his yami had recovered, he said quietly, ((You're not so different from the Tomb Robber, actually.))

(I don't care. He's my friend.) Malik knew he should drop the subject, but he was curious. /What do you mean?/

((You know how he treats his hikari. How is that any different from the way you treat me?

/You deserve it,)) Malik snapped. Then he stopped and thought about that for a second. /Oh my Ra…/

((You see? It's all a matter of opinion,)) his yami hissed. ((You're such a hypocrite. You watch the Tomb Robber treating his other self like shit, while you look on feeling righteous. Then what do you do? You treat me like-))

(Uresei!) screamed Malik.

The spirit laughed, gloating satisfaction lining his silent voice. ((You really are a little baka. You know that, don't you?))

Malik took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. (You're quite happy to sit there and insult me.) He hoped his yami couldn't hear the tremble in his voice.

((You think I'm scared? Let me out and I'll insult you face to face. Go on.))

(I'm never letting you out. Ever!)

Yami Malik gave him a mocking smile. ((Of course you won't.)) Giggling insanely, he retreated to the furthest corner of his soul room, as far away from his hikari as possible, and went back to sleep.

Malik waited, to make sure he had really gone, then got up with the vague intention of walking somewhere. Although no matter where he went it would never be far enough to get away from _him._

The sudden sound of running feet made him look up, and he saw Lyra racing towards him. He stopped and leaned against the tree. "Yes?"

"Malik! Serafina wants us! Come quickly! She says-" Lyra paused and gasped for breath.

Malik regarded her impatiently. "She says what?"

Lyra gulped down air and went on. "She says Ryou is waking up."


	5. Awakening

Chapter Five: Awakening.

A/N: The first half of this chapter is written from Serafina's point of view, so I haven't distinguished between what Yugi and Yami say. You just have to work it out for yourselves. Actually, Yami does most of the speaking, but of course Serafina thinks it is Yugi that is talking.

The second half of this chapter is from Malik's point of view. After this chapter, Ryou will go back to becoming the main character, and all the action will happen from his point of view, and you hear his thoughts and feelings about it. 

I'm really sorry this took so long to update, I've actually been working on "A Day at the Carnival" which should be up on Wednesday.

Also, please could someone tell the meanings of the following Japanese words? : onegai, ja ne, arigato

Please don't mock my ignorance! I know I don't NEED to use Japanese words, but I can't stay ignorant! I'm already ignorant of so many things!

**********

Serafina Pekkala was worried, as she bustled around the room, mixing up different combinations of herbs. She had tried virtually every remedy she knew, and her patient still wouldn't wake. Ryou had been unconscious for seven days now, but there didn't seem to actually be anything _wrong_ with him. The boy had an uncommonly large amount of bruises on him, too many to have been caused by the fall alone, and Serafina could sense something unusual about Ryou, but she wasn't exactly sure what. She frowned slightly as she recalled the conversation she had had with his friends earlier…

*Flashback*

"You called?" Serafina looked up to see Yugi and Malik standing patiently in the doorway.

"Oh, yes. Can either of you tell me how Ryou got so badly hurt?"

Malik looked down at the floor. "He fell a long way."

"I know that. But some of these bruises look older. And there's this, too." She pushed back Ryou's shirt slightly to reveal a long scar down the side of his ribs. "This wasn't caused by a fall. It looks almost like a knife wound, as if he was stabbed." She watched their faces carefully for a reaction.

Yugi's eyes narrowed, and he muttered a mixture of Japanese and Arabic words under his breath. Malik was silent, his face expressionless, almost mask-like. Serafina chose her words carefully. "Does…does he have problems at school?"

Yugi didn't look as if he had heard. Then he spoke calmly and without emotion. "He…has trouble with bullies."

Malik shot him a glare, and Serafina was surprise by the forcefulness of it. Meanwhile, her mind was racing, trying to work out what Yugi had been muttering. She didn't know he spoke Japanese, or Arabic. Although he did have a slightly Japanese look about him. Witches knew most human languages, and she had understood about half of what he had been saying. There had been the word "yarou," which she knew was a Japanese insult, translating roughly to "bastard." Who was a bastard? And there had been another word, one that she hadn't quite heard. It had sounded like "Robber" or "Thief." Then more Arabic, and then, more clearly, "he will pay for this." It didn't seem to make sense. Who would be made to pay? And for what? She had also thought she heard the Arabic word for "grave" or "tomb" used several times. What did it all mean?

Knowing that she wouldn't get much more information out of these two, she dismissed them, saying she needed quiet to work. They left quickly and, she thought, with relief.

*End Flashback*

Serafina bent more closely over Ryou, checking to see how he was healing. Her eyes took in the strange pendant he wore around his neck, and she peered at it curiously. She put out a hand to touch it and, as she did so, she could have sworn that for a second it flashed a deep gold, as if in warning. It didn't look very heavy, so she took it in one hand, feeling its weight. As she held it, it seemed to grow heavier. Her curiosity and suspicion now fully aroused, she decided to take it off and examine it more closely. She lifted it carefully over her patient's neck, careful not to snag the cord on his soft white hair. As she picked it up, it grew even heavier, and she could barely lift it, as if it didn't want to be removed.

She placed the Ring carefully onto the small table next to the T.V, and pulled up a chair. While running her hands over it's cold, smooth surface, she suddenly felt the tingle of magic come from it. There it was, that feeling again, of something hidden away trying to get out…

She sighed and went to get herself a cup of tea.

***

Serafina was reading a book when she heard a moan come from the bed, and the sound of blankets being stirred. Ryou was waking up! For a moment she was struck dumb with astonishment, then she raced to the door and hollered, "Lyra! Will! Yugi! Malik! Ryou is waking up!" A passing maid eyed her pointedly.

"No shouting in the corridors."

Serafina ignored her, shutting the door and returning to Ryou's bedside. "Ryou?"

***

Ryou opened his eyes. There appeared to be a young woman bending over him, and she was calling his name. He sat up slowly, realising he was in a bed. His body ached as if he had been punched all over, and there was a throbbing pain between his eyes. "Who are you? Where am I?" His voice sounded weak and distant to him.

The woman smiled comfortingly at him. "You may call me Serafina. I am a witch from Lyra's world, and I am going to help you get better. You are in an inn, and are perfectly safe. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." The pain was bad but tolerable, and was nothing compared to the agony Bakura could inflict.

Serafina beamed at him. "Excellent."

Ryou snuggled deeper into the covers, trying to keep warm. He supposed it must be an effect of being ill, because somehow he felt _empty_ inside, almost hollow. His hand went automatically to his chest, where the Ring was, only to close on thin air.

"Where's my Ring?" he whispered.

"Oh, your necklace? I took it off earlier," Serafina said cheerfully.

Ryou froze. The Ring! Images flowed into his mind of what Bakura would do to him when he found out the Ring had been taken off. His fear engulfed him, and he started shaking.

"Could I have it back?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay calm.

"Of course." Serafina went over to the table and came back with the Ring. "But could I ask some questions about it first? I don't mean to sound rude. It's just that I could feel power coming from it and-"

"Please." Ryou made a feeble grab for his Item.

Serafina held it just out of his reach. "In a moment," she said firmly. "But first can I just ask where you got-"

"GIVE IT BACK!" Ryou shouted.

The witch stepped back, clearly surprise by his unexpected outburst. "C-Calm down, Ryou."

"Give it to me." Ryou made another grasp, weaker than the last, and nearly tumbled out of bed.

Serafina pushed him back in. "You should rest."

"I know what you're doing!" Ryou cried wildly. "You're trying to save me but it won't work! He'll come back!"

Serafina stared. "Who?"

"He always comes back!" Ryou shouted desperately. "You can't stop him! For he is the shadows, and the shadows never die!"

Yugi appeared in the doorway, interrupting them both. His presence only agitated Ryou further. "Ryou? You're awake!"

**"GET LOST PHARAOH!" **

Yugi stepped back, looking totally and utterly crushed. "R-Ryou? It's only me." His eyes narrowed. "You're not Ryou…" he murmured.

Yami manifested and walked over to Ryou's side. "Tomb Robber-"

**"GET AWAY FROM ME!"** The hikari spat.

Yami looked at Serafina in obvious worry, combined with amazement. "What _happened?"_

"I don't know," Serafina confessed. She was feeling very confused. "All I did was take off his pendant and-"

Yami interrupted her. _"You **took off** the Ring?!"_

"Yes! She did! And I want it back! Give it back!"

Yami spoke very slowly and clearly, hoping the boy would listen. "Ryou, you know what will happen if you put on the Ring. Do you really want that to happen again?"

"Just give it back!" the white haired hikari snapped.

"You know, maybe I should give him back this Ring," suggested Serafina.

"No!" the Pharaoh exclaimed vehemently. He cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, no, don't do that."

There was the sound of footsteps, and Yami whirled around to see Malik standing in the hall. "Is Ryou really awake? Can I see him? And what's all the shouting about?"

Yami quickly moved so he was blocking Malik's view of the room. "Nothing," he said hastily. "Absolutely nothing is happening."

The Tomb Keeper raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Yeah right," he said sarcastically. "What's _really _happening in there?"

**"SHE'S TAKEN THE RING! MAKE HER GIVE IT BACK!"**

Malik's mouth fell open in amazement. **"What?!"**

"I really think I should give it back," said Serafina nervously.

"No!" protested Yami.

"Yes!" Malik snapped. "Are you crazy Ph-I-mean-Yugi?" he suddenly remembered that Serafina was watching.

"Malik, you know what will happen if he puts on the Ring!" Yami had obviously forgotten about the witch.

"You can't just try and control his life! He's destined to have it, just like Yug-I-mean you and the Puzzle!" Malik was getting impatient. And angry.

"I'm not having that baka ruining Ryou's life! Again!"

"That 'baka' you are talking about happens to be my friend," Malik said coldly. He was really getting angry now. He reached into his pocket to take out the Rod and _make_ the witch give the Ring back, but Yami grabbed his wrist and forced it away.

"Get off me!" Malik snarled.

Yami could see the Egyptian boy's outline shifting and blurring. Recognising the danger signals, he attempted to calm Malik down.

Inside Malik's mind… 

_Malik's anger was eating through his mind, corroding the bonds that held Yami Malik back. Sensing his hikari's anger, Yami Malik decided that now was a good time to try and split off. He hurled his entire weight at his soul room door, trying to open it._

_On the other side, Malik pressed himself against the door, trying to keep it shut. But his anger had done enough damage-the door was slowly coming open, and Yami Malik's fist shot out again and again, striking him in any place he could reach. Malik desperately tried to block the blows, but the door was coming open..._

_Outside…_

Yami knew what would happen if Malik was made angry enough, and he fixed his gaze on the seething Egyptian, willing him to calm down. Malik clenched his fists, and Yami saw that blood was trickling between his fingers and dripping onto the floor.

"Look," he said, trying to be reasonable. "I know how you feel but-"

"Don't patronise me." Malik's voice was deceptively calm. "You have NO IDEA how I feel." He blurred harder, and for a moment there were two Maliks standing in front of Yami- one angry, and one with a triumphant smile on his face.

In a last desperate attempt to stop Yami Malik separating, Yami grabbed Malik's shoulders and shook them hard. "Control yourself!" he snapped.

Malik flinched. His eyes cleared and he stopped blurring, although he continued to glare at his enemy. Yami heaved a silent sigh of relief, which rapidly disappeared as Malik broke free of Yami's grasp, leapt forward and snatched the Ring from Serafina. He tossed it to Ryou, who reached out and caught it. He looped it around his neck, and then fell back onto his pillows with a shudder.

"What's happening? I insist that you tell me!"

"What in Ra's name have you done now, Tomb Keeper?"

Malik ignored them both and walked across the room until he was standing next to Ryou.

The Ring-holder looked up at him gratefully. "Thank you."

Malik shuffled his feet, slightly embarrassed. "It was nothing. Um, is he there?"

Ryou closed his eyes. After a few moments he opened them and shook his head in despair. "I…can't feel him."

_Where is he? Why can't he come through?_ Malik thought for a few moments, then reached into his pocket and took out the Millennium Rod. _If this doesn't work, nothing will._ He extended the blade slowly. _Dammit, Bakura makes this look so easy._ The thought of Bakura was enough to spur him on, and he drove the blade into his wrist. The pain was immediate, and he nearly dropped the Rod. _Shit!_ He bit his lip, trying to block out the pain. _H-how can Bakura_ **_enjoy_**_ this? _His breathing coming out in laboured gasps, he held his wrist out to Ryou. "Try again." Ryou nodded and closed his eyes.

He could see the pain in Malik's eyes, but thrust the image away, searching in his mind for that familiar, yet haunting presence. /Yami…?/ Nothing. Despair washed over him. But then something stirred in the back of his mind. A familiar voice said //…Hikari?//

Bakura opened their eyes, gazing around him in unveiled curiosity. Then he saw Malik. "Blood!" He lunged forward, and his friend withdrew his bloody arm just in time.

Malik smiled in satisfaction. "He'll be all right."


	6. Spectres

Chapter Six: Spectres.

Ryou groaned and sat up, gingerly rubbing the dent in his forehead that meant he had fallen asleep reading again. As he shifted his position the Ring jangled its spikes nosily, and he automatically put up a hand to silence them. He wondered fleetingly why Malik had made such an effort to give the Ring back to him. _Is it because he knows that the longer the Ring stays off the more my yami will punish me?_ He shivered at the memory of the 'lesson' Bakura had given him last night. He had silently endured it, knowing it could have been a lot worse. _Or am I just imagining things? Did he just do it because he wanted Bakura back?_ Ryou promised himself that once he was better he would ask Malik why.

He was torn from his thoughts by angry voices outside. Through the crack where the door hadn't quite shut he could just about make out Serafina and Malik. They were both trying unsuccessfully to keep their voices down.

"Just give me one good reason why I can't come in!"

"Because Ryou needs peace and quiet! You've probably woken him up already!"

"That's no excuse!" the Tomb Keeper protested. "You let Lyra in this morning!"

Serafina was making no secret of the fact that she disapproved of Malik's presence. Although she didn't realise the full meaning of what had happened yesterday, the teen had showed himself to be violent and possibly unstable, and she didn't want someone like that near Ryou when he was trying to get better.

"That's because I know that Lyra is sensible!"

"I **am** sensible!!!" Malik screamed.

The witch coughed pointedly.

"Stop taking the piss out of me and let me past RIGHT NOW!"

Serafina seemed about to argue, but gave up. It was probably a good idea, as Malik was about two seconds away from taking out the Rod. "Fine! But only for ten minutes!"

Malik made an impatient noise and pushed past her. Seeing Ryou awake, he stopped, looking slightly guilty. "Oh my Ra, did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

Ryou gave a small smile. "It's okay. I was already awake."

Malik sat down carefully on the bed. "You look slightly better. Still quite pale, though."

Ryou rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "You're beginning to sound like Serafina." He hesitated. _Should I ask him now? And what if he says-_

Malik glanced around, and after seeing Serafina 'busy' in the corner, switched to Japanese. "Can I speak to mou hitori no Ryou?"

Anger coursed silently through Ryou, and he gripped his book tightly, thinking how much he wanted to smash it into Malik's face. _I knew it! He just did it to get Bakura back!_

((Quit your moaning, yadonushi.)) Bakura mentally pushed him aside and glared at Malik. "You call me that again Grave Keeper and I'll send you to the Shadow Realm."

Malik gave an annoying smirk. "My apologies, _Tomb Robber."_ He received an unamused look in reply.

"Uresei. Why are you here anyway?"

His friend sighed. "I need sane conversation, 'Kura. The Pharaoh is driving me crazy."

Bakura yawned, and stretched his arms. "That's quite understandable."

"Hey, you try sharing a room with him. Besides, he snores."

The Tomb Robber gave a wicked grin, showing his teeth. "You're sleeping with the Pharaoh?" he asked in mock surprise.

Malik gave him a dirty look. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Oooh, someone's getting defensive."

The blond boy got up. "I'm leaving."

"Hey, wait!" Bakura grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "I was only joking. Take it easy."

Malik winced and carefully removed Bakura's fingers from his wrist. Bakura sat up a little straighter. "My Ra, Malik, where did **that** come from?"

Malik followed his gaze to the deep cut on his arm. "Actually, it was self-inflicted yesterday, when Ryou and I were trying to wake you up."

The white haired spirit's eyes widened, and his long sensitive fingers ran lightly over the wound, careful not to reopen it. "You aren't much good at the whole self-harm thing, are you?"

"Well, I don't exactly make a habit of cutting myself!"

"Obviously," Bakura said coolly. He looked at the wound again. "Did it hurt?"

Malik shrugged, feigning indifference. "Not really," he lied.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, right. The wrist is one of the worst places to cut. It's much too sensitive. And you went in far too deep. A mere scratch would have produced sufficient blood."

"Well, I _was_ slightly tense," Malik snapped. He looked up as Serafina came over, clutching a smoking glass filled with bubbling purple liquid.

"Ryou, it's time for your daily potion." She held out the glass.

Bakura sighed in resignation and took the glass carefully in both hands. He sipped it slowly, and pulled a face. "It's disgusting. Haven't you got any sugar?"

Serafina looked at him blankly. "Sugar?"

"Never mind." Bakura drained the glass and put it down, shuddering slightly at the sour taste. To his amazement, warmth was spreading through his body, right down to his fingers and toes, and the pounding in his head ceased.

Malik eyed him sympathetically. "I've got to go now. In a moment of insanity earlier, I promised the Pharaoh I'd duel him." Rolling his eyes, he exited the room.

"Try not to lose too quickly!" Bakura called after him. He snuggled down into the sheets, surprised at how much steadier his voice sounded. _That stuff tastes like piss, but it works._

"Hey Serafina!"

She looked up. "Yes?"

"I'm so bored. Can I go outside?"

Serafina gave a sigh of frustration. Contrary to his looks, Ryou was so_ restless._ He obviously wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed being stuck in bed all day. "If you're quiet for the next ten minutes, I'll go and ask the others if you can all take a walk outside together. You need fresh air anyway."

Bakura waited until her back was turned and then stuck his tongue out at her.

…….

Ryou walked ahead of his friends, absorbed in his own thoughts. _At least if I stay away from them then no one will get hurt._

((Yadonushi, why are you always thinking things like that?")) Bakura growled impatiently. ((You know you can't stop-What the HELL is that?))

Ryou felt his yami's attention snap towards his surroundings, and looked without caring. His surprise mirrored Bakura's as he saw a grey, shapeless _thing_ drifting towards him. He didn't have to be close to sense the evil coming from it.

(What is it?)

((Dammit, how would I know?)) Bakura's voice grew interested. ((Let's go and see!))

(But..) Ryou watched helplessly as his own feet walked him forward.

…………

Yugi, Malik, Will and Lyra were walking slowly behind, not really paying attention to their surroundings. Yugi was engrossed in a conversation with Lyra about the duel with Malik. She was looking through his deck in obvious interest, as Yugi droned on and on about the attack points for each monster, what attack it could do and exactly how it had enabled him to beat Malik. Lyra was drinking up each word like a thirsty flower.

Malik and Will were discussing the best ways to kill cliff-ghasts. A person listening in would have caught words like: "Chop off their heads!" and "No! You have to do it slowly!" A sane person listening in would have rolled their eyes and wondered off ages ago.

Malik was listing the advantages of strangling compared to kicking, when he saw it. "Look! What's that?"

"Huh?" Will looked up but couldn't see anything.

"That!" Malik was growing impatient. He pointed to the misty greyish form that was skulking sinisterly around them. For a moment it seemed to disintegrate and disappear, but then he saw an oily glisten in the air, and knew it was watching them.

Lyra broke off from her conversation with Yugi, and looked around carefully before giving him a strange look. "I can't see anything." she said coldly.

"Me neither," Yugi commented.

"But-"

"If this is a joke than it isn't very funny," Will said scathingly.

"They're there! I can see them!" Malik practically screamed.

"I still can't-wait! I can see them too!" Yami stared at the spectral thing in amazement.

Malik was relieved that someone else could see them, which meant he wasn't going insane after all, but his mind was working furiously. Why could only the Pharaoh and him see them? Why not Yugi or Will or Lyra?

Lyra's eyes grew suddenly wide. "Wait. What do they look like?"

Yami screwed up his eyes. "They're sort of…misty. Almost transparent."

Lyra and Will's eyes met. "Spectres…" Lyra whispered fearfully. Pan became a small brown puppy, and his tail drooped between his legs. He whined softly.

"What are these…Spectres?" Malik asked nervously.

"They…they sort of eat your soul," Will said slowly. "They're almost parasitic. They feed on people. But not all people. Only people who have-" He took a deep breath. "Only people who have reached puberty, who have grown up. If you can see them, you know they can get you." He looked at Lyra. "Remember Angelica and her brother Tullio?"

Lyra clapped her hands to her mouth. "Oh God. The Spectres ate him." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It was our fault."

"We couldn't have known," Will said fiercely.

__

Well, that explains why only the Pharaoh and me can see them, Malik thought. He was slightly amused that Yugi couldn't see them. He looked around them again. "Why is it keeping its distance? Why doesn't it attack us?"

Will struggled to remember. "I think…yes! They're afraid of the knife! It's the only thing that can destroy them!"

"Wait! It's going!" Yami watched the Spectre carefully. It was drifting ahead of them, surprisingly quickly.

"It looks almost purposeful," Malik mused. "Like it's going to get someone…" Realisation dawned, and his eyes widened in horror. He looked at Yami, and saw that he realised it too.

"Ryou…" they whispered in unison.

Will held the knife in front of him and ran after the Spectres. The others followed more cautiously.

…………

They were now close enough to see the Spectre clearly, its blank face greedy and malevolent. Ryou was filled with a huge sense of foreboding. (Yami, I really don't think this was a good idea.) The misty shapes were weaving their way through the trees, and even Bakura was starting to get slightly worried. He tried to move his feet but found them sluggish, unwilling to respond.

((Dammit!)) Bakura separated, looking at the Spectres nervously. The Ring was emitting a dull glow, but he was unaware of it. The Spectres seemed a lot more interested in Bakura than Ryou, and suddenly a whole swarm of wraith-like forms enveloped him. Nausea engulfed Bakura, and he could feel a million tiny mouths eating away at his soul, tearing it away. He struggled feebly, but a hideous dullness had come over him, sapping his will to live. Dimly, as if from far away, he could feel his soul being drained away, but he was powerless to stop it.

Ryou felt his yami's presence fading and he hesitated. _What should I do? Do I help him or leave him to die?_ Making his decision quickly, he ran towards Bakura, desperately trying to brush the misty things away. He gasped involuntarily as one broke off from its feeding and wrapped itself around him. It felt like his soul was on fire…He tried to move, but his feet were rooted to the ground. His very life force was being destroyed, he could feel it being consumed. Ryou fell to his knees, choking. The world around them was fading…

………..

Will ran towards the indistinct figure, knife held out in front of him. As he came closer, the Spectres suddenly became aware of his presence, or of the knife's, and scattered, some dissolving into the air.

Will turned his attention to Ryou, or the person that he thought was Ryou. "It's all right now! They're gone-" He broke off as the choking figure stumbled upright.

"I'm not Ryou."

Will gasped as another figure, similar but not totally identical to the first came over.

"Oh my God, yami. What were those things?"

Will's head was ringing. He looked at the two slim, white-haired figures. "There-there are **two** of you?"

"No," said the first 'boy.' The necklace he was wearing began to glow. "Not two. Just one."

There was a sudden flash of light and Will's mind went blank.

………..

Ryou looked at Will. "Please tell me all you did was erase his memory."

Bakura nodded calmly and without concern. "He'll wake up in a second." He went back into the Ring and took control from a reluctant Ryou just as the black-haired boy returned to reality.

"W-what just happened?"

"I was being attacked by those…things. You ran up with that knife and saved me," Bakura said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I did? Oh, yeah!"

"Ryou!" Yugi, Malik and Lyra came running up. They all looked very white.

"Did they get you?" Lyra questioned.

"A bit. Will came just in time." Bakura looked at the person who had just saved his soul. "What IS that thing?"

Will displayed it with a touch of pride. "This is the subtle knife. It can cut through anything – gold, spectres, worlds…I'll show you." He held the knife up into the air as if searching for something, then moved it swiftly along and down. Bakura, Malik and Yugi stared in utter shock.

A square "window" hung in the air. Everything around it was normal, but if you stepped directly in front of it you could see a gigantic rainforest, thick with plants and trees. The clear sound of parrots drifted in through the window. You could smell the wild fragrance of the flowers, and when Malik put a hand through cautiously, he could feel the waxy, shiny leaves and rough, abrasive surface of the tree trunks. It was real. Somehow.

"Is-is that another _world?"_ Yugi's voice was filled with amazement.

Will nodded. "The subtle knife can cut through to any world that exists. But it only works for the knife holder, which happens to be me. I paid the price, as did the former bearers." He held up his left hand, and a hush fell over everyone except Lyra as they realised his little finger and the one next to it were missing.

Yugi was growing excited. "This could be our way home!" he cried.

Will just smiled sadly. "Do you think that hadn't already occurred to me? It won't work. I hate to tell you this, but there are so many worlds the knife can reach, and I have no idea which is yours. I can only cut through into my world and into Lyra's so easily because I can feel them so easily. It could take weeks of trail-and-error before I find your world."

Yugi's face fell.

Meanwhile, Bakura was walking around the window, immensely interested. He noticed in fascination that from the back it disappeared totally, and that the edge between the two worlds was so thin he couldn't feel it. A plan was slowly forming in his mind. He slunk up to Malik, and whispered quietly. "Hey."

Malik jumped and turned around. "What?"

"Do you think that knife can open a way into the Shadow Realm? Or, even better, open the Gates of Darkness?"

Malik's eyes lit up with understanding, and he looked suddenly interested. "I don't know. Probably."

Bakura nodded. Suddenly, the last of his energy left him and he half fell against his friend, who grabbed him and pulled him upright.

"Hey people? Can we go back to the inn now? I think Ryou could seriously do with a rest," Malik said loudly. He shook Bakura gently, who groaned and nodded.

………..

"Well I'm glad to see you've finally got back; you've all been gone a long time and-what the hell happened?" Serafina looked on in amazement as Will and Yugi came into the room, supporting Bakura. She helped them get him into bed. "You could probably do with a good night's sleep."

Bakura's eyes widened in horror, and icy fear gripped him as he imagined reliving the Spectres' attack in his nightmares. "Are you joking? I'm never going to sleep again."

Serafina sighed, and after mixing some ingredients together, handed him another glass. This one had clear blue liquid in it, which sloshed gently around the bottom. "This is a potion for dreamless sleep. You look like you need it, and it might help."

Bakura nodded weakly and took the glass, drinking the contents slowly. Unlike the last potion Serafina had given him, this one was pleasantly sweet. He lay back on the pillows and closed his eyes, asleep almost instantly. Serafina motioned to Yugi and Will, and the three of them tiptoed quietly from the room.

…………

Everyone had gathered in the other bedroom, amusing themselves in different ways. Yugi was trying unsuccessfully to teach Will how to play Duel Monsters. "So what attack does this 'Dark Magician' have again? Wasn't it 'Dark Spell' attack?"

Yugi sighed. "No. It was 'Dark Magic' attack. See, Dark Magician has more attack points than Summoned Skull's-"

"Oh, I get it now!"

Malik grinned, shuffling his own deck absent-mindedly. Winged Dragon of Ra peeked out at him, and he looked at it thoughtfully before turning it over and putting the deck back in his pocket. He was finding Will's attempts quite amusing, especially when he misunderstood something very simple, and Yugi would go over it for the hundredth time, gritting his teeth. Occasionally it would all get a bit too much, and Yami would take over and start…gesturing forcefully.

There was a tapping sound, and everyone looked up. The noise wasn't coming from the door though; it was coming from the_ window._ Lyra got up and went to the window, looking out cautiously. "It can't be…Kaisa?" The name was said in disbelief.

"What?" Serafina ran to the window. Malik looked up and stared. There was a large grey goose outside the window, flapping its huge wings continuously to stay aloft. It looked like a normal animal, but it didn't _feel_ like one.

Serafina opened the window hastily, and she and the goose embraced each other warmly. She turned to Yugi and Will. "This is my dæmon Kaisa," she explained with some difficulty, as her face was buried in the goose's feathery body. "Witches' dæmons can go a lot further away from their people than normal dæmons can, and sometimes I don't see him for months. What news, Kaisa?"

The goose spoke in a perfectly clear, but strangely wild-sounding voice. "There is trouble brewing amongst your clan. A group of rebelling witches are questioning your authority as Queen, and are trying to take over. You must come back immediately."

Serafina nodded reluctantly and seized her cloud pine branch from where it rested against the wall. "I'm sorry to leave you everyone, but this matter must be sorted out. Until we meet again." She shook hands with everybody, and hugged Lyra. Speaking quietly, so that no one overheard, she whispered, "I wish you and Will luck with your plan. Were you planning to let the others come with you?"

Lyra shrugged, looking a little guilty. "I dunno really. Will and I were going to ask them soon if they want to come. We're not sure when to carry our plans out."

"You will know when the time is right. And I sense that it would be wise to let them come. You may find that they have some valuable skills." She hugged Lyra one last time. "Good luck."

Then she mounted her branch as if it were a horse, and soared out of the open window with her dæmon. Lyra gazed longingly after her before shutting the window - it had started raining outside.

………….

A/N: In case you are wondering why the Spectres were so much more interested in Bakura than Ryou, even though they could both see them equally clearly, its because the Spectres feed on Dust. This Dust can't be seen with the naked eye; however if you look through the Amber Spyglass you can see it. Dust is the thing which happens when matter begins to understand itself, and forms Dust, and as people get older they get more and more Dust. Bakura is about three thousand years older than Ryou, so obviously he has more Dust around him. If Yami had been there with them he would have attracted even more interest from the Spectres, because more Dust is created when people become wiser, and friendlier, and more giving and caring. Being a tomb robber and a thief, Bakura has a lot less Dust than Yami does. Does that all make sense now?


	7. A place where we can't be disturbed

Chapter Seven: "A Place Where We Can't Be Disturbed."

A/N: I have quoted some text from Stephen King's "The Shining" in this chapter, and I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that I do not own "The Shining" or Yu-gi-oh or Northern Lights. Also, I have read "The Shining" and I would definitely recommend it. It is a brilliant book, written by a brilliant author. Northern Lights is just as brilliant, but in a slightly different way.

Warnings: a bit of bad language

Also:

(Hikari speech)

((Yami speech))

Malik (through Millennium Rod) speech

………………….

Ryou was sitting in a chair in his room, engrossed in his book. It was "The Shining" by Stephen King. Ryou like nothing better than to be left in peace and quiet, reading a good thriller. His yami had separated and gone off somewhere with Malik, leaving Ryou alone. This suited them both very well.

__

"The entire dome was splattered with blood, he could see dotted bits of hair but nothing else thank God he could see nothing else, and still he thought he would be sick because he could hear the hammer blows still falling, could hear them through the glass just as he could hear the phrases of 'The Blue Danube.' But the sounds were no longer the mechanical tink-tink-tink of a mechanical hammer striking a mechanical head, but the soft and squishy sound of a real hammer slicing down and whacking into a spongy, muddy ruin. A ruin that once had been-"

The door creaked open and Ryou jumped about a foot in the air, dropping his book. _Why oh why do I read so many horror books?!_

Relief washed over him when he realised it was only Bakura, deep in a conversation with Malik.

"I'm telling you, there is no privacy in this place!" Bakura was saying angrily. "I swear to Ra that damn Pharaoh is listening in on practically every conversation we have. It's almost like he suspects something. This plan isn't going to work unless we can discuss the details together privately-" He broke off, and looked at his hikari as if seeing him for the first time. Ryou gulped. He now understood exactly how a baby lamb felt when a wolf was staring at it. Bakura looked at Malik, and unspoken agreement passed between them. The Millennium Rod holder nodded.

"This could work."

They both walked slowly towards Ryou, who was starting to feel cornered. He looked uneasily around for an escape route, and half-rose from his chair. "What's going on?" he asked uncertainly.

"Sit down," Malik said calmly. "We're not going to hurt you." Bakura pushed Ryou back into the chair, and went into the Ring, which shone brightly and then appeared around his hikari's neck.

Malik pulled up a chair and sat opposite his prey, long dark fingers curled tightly around the Millennium Rod. He looked deep into Ryou's eyes, and concentrated on synchronising their breathing. In… out… in… out… Ryou's eyes closed, and after a moment, Malik's did too.

…………

Ryou opened his eyes, and stared. They were in a bright white space, with Bakura and Malik standing nearby; the latter holding a miniature version of the Millennium Rod, which was shining so brightly Ryou could barely look at it directly. Looking around him, Ryou could see two doors, one with bars on and one black, leading off to his and his yami's soul rooms respectively. In between, there was another door, but translucent, and Ryou guessed that it led to Malik's temporary soul room. With a chill of fear, combined with amazement, he realised the three of them were deep inside his mind.

Malik was looking around in obvious interest, while Bakura had a nasty smile on his face which was starting to make Ryou uneasy. What _were_ they up to? He knew they wouldn't go to this much trouble for privacy just so they could have a casual conversation. Bakura had mention a 'plan.' What was it?

His yami was still smiling. ((At last, a place where we can't be disturbed. But first…))

A beam of energy and shadow-power came from the Ring, sending Ryou crashing to the ground. Seizing his half-stunned hikari by the shirt, Bakura threw him into his soul room and locked the door.

Ryou scrambled upright with some difficulty, and wrapped his hands around the bars. (Let me out!)

The two plotters ignored him. Malik asked, Won't it be more private if we both go into your soul room?

Bakura sighed, obviously frustrated by his friend's ignorance. ((The only person who can go into a soul room is the person it belongs to.)) He gave Malik a look that clearly said, 'I can't believe you don't know that.'

Malik shrugged, unconcerned. I don't really go into my soul room very often, so how would I know? Is that what Shadi can do then? Go into other people's soul rooms?

((Something like that, amongst other things.))

What's in a soul room? Malik asked curiously.

((Um…things that reflect the person, I think. My hikari's is just like a bare prison cell, because that's how he feels when he's in it. Mine's full of knives and daggers and blood and stuff. Actually, I've heard that The Pharaoh's Pet's soul room is full of teddy bears. But this place is neutral, which is why I invited you here. Anyway, let's cut the crap and do what we came to do.))

The Egyptian teenager nodded, and they started discussing their plans to steal Will's subtle knife. Ryou's eyes went wide, and he rattled the bars of his prison as loudly as he could. (I can't believe you're doing this! Will saved our lives and this is how you repay him?) Ryou was filled with indignant fury - he had never thought his yami would sink this low. He yelled the word (**BAKAS!**) as loudly as possible.

Bakura glared at him. ((Stop that noise yadonushi, you're giving me a headache.)) He made a move towards Ryou but Malik intervened.

If we're finished can I check on my body before I go?

Bakura willingly gave his consent, but it wouldn't have made any difference if he had refused. The Millennium Rod meant that Malik was totally in control of Ryou's body, and could do whatever he wanted with it. He had taken on Bakura's role, as it were.

He waved the Rod, and two shaft of light similar to massive television screens appeared around them. It only took Ryou a moment that Malik was using **his** eyes to look around the outside world.

(Fucking bastards,) he thought viciously. He didn't use words like that very often, but right now he had a good excuse. (Dammit, it's _my_ body and I have absolutely no control over it.)

His darker half looked at him in sardonic amusement. ((Actually my host, it's **our** body, and right now Malik is the one in control. Is that all right with you?))

Ryou didn't answer him, knowing that it was useless to argue and that he would only suffer for it later on. Malik was looking at his own body with narrowed eyes.

'Malik' was sitting in the chair. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be unconscious or asleep, except that one hand was gripping the arm of the chair tightly and the other hand was holding the Millennium Rod, which was shining as brightly as the one which Malik held in Ryou's mind. Ryou, who was looking through the bars, saw that Malik's outline was blurry, and it was hard to tell exactly where he was. Bakura was intrigued. ((What does this mean?)) he asked curiously.

Malik looked at him evenly. Most of my soul is in here with you, he explained calmly. I left the smallest possible amount of me back in my body. My yami can sense that I am weaker, and is trying to separate. Let's hope he doesn't succeed.

Ryou was genuinely surprised that Malik, who was, after all, a hikari, could exert such control over his dark half. He felt a twinge of jealousy. _Why can he hold his yami back but I can't? Am I really that much weaker?_

Bakura smirked at him, and Ryou remembered, too late, that his yami could read his thoughts. Could Malik, at least for now? If he had, he gave no sign of it. ((That's right, my little hikari. You ARE weak. Just accept it.)) Bakura laughed shortly, and Ryou glowered at him.

Malik was still looking at his blurring body. I'd better go back. He paused and looked at Ryou, who glared back, hating him. His soul room flashed crimson, reflecting his anger, and Malik registered this before continuing. What about Ryou? He might try and tell someone.

Bakura gave an evil smile. ((Don't worry, he won't remember a thing.)) He walked up to Ryou, who watched helplessly as the Ring flashed, erasing his memory.

…………

Malik got up slowly from the chair, stretching his cramped limbs with a barely audible sigh. Bakura did the same. He smiled at his friend. "See you tonight."


	8. Theft

Chapter Eight: Theft.

A/N: Don't worry if you find Bakura's personality confusing, it's meant to be like that. Until you find it all out later, blame it on…um…mood swings or hormones or something.

Warnings: Bad language, violence

……………..

It was the calm before the storm. Ryou walked along the hallway aimlessly. _He's up to something, I know it._ His yami had been quiet all day, and Ryou was certain he was planning something, probably with Malik. He knew Bakura must have erased his mind earlier, because he couldn't remember anything that had happened all day, and this added to his worry. Bakura only erased his memory when he was planning something he knew Ryou wouldn't approve of. The white-haired hikari reached his room and unlocked the door slowly, not sure what to expect.

Bakura was lying on the sofa, utterly relaxed. There were knives scattered on the floor around him, some with dried blood on. The Ring-spirit was staring dreamily at the ceiling, while absently cleaning one of his daggers, and didn't seem to notice Ryou come in. However, as Ryou stepped into the room, Bakura said "hello hikari," without looking at him.

Ryou picked his way carefully across the floor, trying not to step on anything. His suspicions were increasing rapidly. "You're up to something, aren't you?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" Bakura said in a bored voice. He continued to clean his dagger.

Ryou thought for a moment. Amongst the various weapons lying on the floor, he could se a small can of oil, wire-cutters and some paperclips – Bakura's standard burglary kit. His insides turned cold. "You're going to steal something," he blurted out.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Bakura's tone was innocent.

__

Too innocent, Ryou thought, and his yami chuckled quietly. The sound sent a shiver up Ryou's spine. His mind worked rapidly, mentally listing all the things Bakura would want to steal. Then the truth hit him. Hard. "The knife," he whispered softly. "Will's subtle knife."

Bakura's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

"Tell me I've made a mistake. Please." There was disbelief in Ryou's voice. Bakura stood up, putting the now-clean dagger in his pocket.

"I'm going now, hikari. See you later."

Ryou ran to the open doorway and stood in front of it, blocking his yami's path. "No…" he whispered. "You can't. Please don't."

"Get out of the way." There was a dangerous note in the spirit's voice.

Ryou heard it, but didn't give up. "I'm not going to let you do this!" He hesitated, amazed at his own daring, then drew back his fist and punched his yami in the chest.

Bakura blinked in shock. "You…you hit me." Shock was showing clearly on his pale features. It turned rapidly to anger. "I'll teach you to know your place!"

He slapped Ryou viciously across the face. His hikari stumbled sideways, and Bakura slammed the door shut. "What have you got to say for yourself now, yadonushi?" He grabbed Ryou's arm and twisted hard.

A small, barely audible mumble came from his other half. "S-sorry."

Bakura sneered at this. "It's too late for regrets now." He hit his hikari's face again.

Ryou endured the blow silently, and braced himself for the next one. His thoughts came piling out in a jumble. _What was I thinking I shouldn't have done it why oh why please don't hit me it hurts…_

There were three types of pain – physical, mental and spiritual, and Ryou had experienced them all many times, but that didn't mean he like it. He had found, after long agonising hours of experience, that physical was best because he could learn to block out the pain. Some of it.

The next blow caught him in the side of the neck and he staggered back, trying to will the pain away. But it wasn't working – everything was happening too fast. Ryou could tell by the blackness eating away at the sides of his vision that he was about to lose consciousness, and he welcomed this with relief. _At least then the pain will stop._

Bakura, also realising this, kicked his shin hard, sending Ryou tumbling back into reality. (Please stop, I'll do anything…)

The door opened and Malik poked his head in. "Am I interrupting anything?" His voice was casual.

"No." Bakura hit Ryou again, but mentally, so that he fell back clutching his head. "I'll be ready in a moment."

Malik watched in silence as Bakura hit Ryou several times, resulting in whimpers of pain, each weaker than the last.

The Ring spirit kicked his hikari hard, so that he skidded painfully backwards and lay sprawled on the ground. "Get up yadonushi," Bakura snapped.

Ryou heard his yami's command and put out a hand to raise himself up, but was overcome with weakness and fell back down again.

Bakura trod carefully on his wrist. "Do what I tell you."

Fear won over pain, and his hikari forced himself to stand, his legs shaking continuously. Bakura immediately kicked him in the stomach, and Ryou fell back against the wall, bent over double in pain. There was a wet, salty substance in his mouth, and he spat it out weakly, to realise it was blood. The Tomb Robber watched emotionlessly as Ryou coughed up blood onto the floor, gagging and retching. His throat felt like rough sandpaper, and he gasped for air, his thin chest heaving as he choked on his own blood. Just before he lost consciousness, Bakura hit him sharply on the side of the head, and blood flew out of Ryou's mouth. He gulped down air desperately.

His gaze met Malik's in a last silent plea for help. For a second, something that might have been pity flickered in the purple eyes, but then the Egyptian shook his head slightly. No words passed between them but the message was clear – fight your own battles.

The Ring-spirit was amused. "Aww, you want help, yadonushi?" Another kick. "Who the hell do you think would want to help _you?"_ The scarlet eyes, brimming with bloodlust and a twisted sort of pleasure bored into his hikari who, to Bakura's surprise, held his gaze. Beneath the fear he could still sense a last spark of defiance. Battered but not yet broken. But not for much longer. "You think _Malik_ will help you? He doesn't care." He looked across at his friend. "You want to help him?"

The Egyptian leaned casually against the wall, as if nothing was happening. "No. Why should I care?" He saw the last glimmer of hope in Ryou's eyes flicker and die.

Bakura smiled. "I think he's disappointed now. Isn't that sweet? You though Malik would help you out, didn't you hikari?" He gave his light a push, but Ryou remained silent. "Go on then. Beg for help." He shoved him forwards.

The Egyptian backed away in disgust. "For Ra's sake, Bakura, don't bring him near me." His tone hardened. "I don't want blood all over my clothes."

Ryou looked as if Malik had hit him in the face. There was deep hurt in his expression, mingled with growing anger. "B-Bastard…" he whispered.

His yami slapped him hard. "Mind your manners, host. You say shit like that to Malik again and I'll let him hurt you instead." He noticed that his hands were soaked in his light's blood and licked them slowly, savouring the sugary taste. Revolted, the Rod-holder looked away. Ryou was too used to his yami doing this to care.

The next blow took him off guard and he was knocked to the floor, the impact causing him to cough up the last of the blood in his mouth. There was a strange look in Malik's eyes as he watched this. He seemed about to say something, then shrugged and started playing with the Rod.

His limbs folding beneath him, Ryou lay on the floor in a battered bloody heap, too weak to move.

"Get up."

He tried, he really did. But his body wouldn't support him. He made another attempt, then collapsed.

Gripping his shoulders, Bakura pulled him gently to his feet. "You okay?"

His hikari swayed and fell over again. The spirit caught him, holding him upright. "You can lean on me if you want."

Ryou hesitated, then rested against his yami for a moment, taking deep shuddering breaths. There was a faint light of hope in his eyes. His yami put an arm around him. "All better?"

It wasn't, but Ryou nodded anyway.

"Good." Bakura shoved him to the floor.

The blade was dragged roughly along his arm and Ryou screamed. The sound pleased his yami, who smiled. Pulling the knife away, he licked it lovingly. ((You know, I asked you a little while back if you wanted to try some. You changed your mind since then?))

He held the knife. With the last of his strength, Ryou backed away as far as he could.

((Too bad. You know, the pain isn't so bad once you get used to it.)) Laughing crazily, Bakura gripped his hikari's mind hard, so he couldn't move. Ryou's dark eyes were round with terror.

The Ring-spirit leisurely took a sharp knife from his pocket. When he spoke, it was in a ruthless, cutting tone that made his host flinch at the sound. "Yadonushi, I don't like it when you're rude to me. I don't like it at all…" He slid the knife very gradually into Ryou's chest.

Ryou felt the blade enter, but was too weak to do anything except lie there and breathe. Suddenly, he realised Bakura was going to kill him. He struggled desperately, but the knife just kept coming in. _I'm going to die oh my God I'm going to die he's going to kill me please someone help anyone don't let him kill me-_

Bakura pulled out the knife and threw it to the ground. He walked slowly backwards, away from his hikari. And kept going.

"What the fuck do you think you're playing at?" he screamed suddenly. But not at Ryou. He aimed his question at Malik, who had one hand resting on the Millennium Rod. Against his will, Bakura was forced to sit on the bed and stay there.

That's enough, the Egyptian said quietly. You've gone far enough. Now stop. There was anger building in his voice, as well as deep disgust. "For Ra's sake, Bakura, are you trying to kill him?"

The spirit stood up slowly, fighting the Rod's control. "It's none of your business what I do to my host. And since when did you care anyway?"

"Don't give me that shit." Malik's voice was frostily cold. Purple fire flickered around him, merging with his outline. Bakura's shadow powers were also coming to the surface, blue flames flaring dangerously. The challenge rang out unspoken between them.

Icy purple eyes met fiery red, and eventually the red ones looked away. The scarlet glow was visibly draining away, fading into a calmer brown. Bakura sat back down on the bed, not saying a word.

Still holding the Rod, Malik walked slowly over to Ryou. Slipping in and out of consciousness, the battered hikari saw him approach, and recoiled slightly, although he was unaware of it. The Egyptian looked into Ryou's tortured eyes. "I believe I've just saved your life," he said quietly. He paused and looked at Bakura for a second. Even more quietly he said, "You could push him back if you really wanted to."

He left Ryou's side and sat on the bed next to Bakura, releasing his control over him. Bakura, finding he could move, glared at him with all the hate he could muster. "Whose side are you on? Mine or his?"

Malik avoided the question. "Are you going to leave Ryou lying there all night? I thought we had other things we wanted to do."

Bakura looked into his friend's eyes, and suddenly, for a moment, he saw himself as Malik saw him. Then the moment passed, and he was himself again. The spirit sighed, suddenly feeling tired. He was more than three thousand years old, and at the moment he felt like it.

Ryou watched silently as Bakura crossed the room towards him, and tried feebly to back away. "Come on hikari," his yami said. "Let's get you to bed." Ryou stiffened instinctively as Bakura bent down and picked him up, cradling him in the way mothers do with their children. He was held in his yami's arms, surprisingly gently. As he drifted from consciousness again, Bakura carried him carefully over to the bed and put him in it. His head was laid gently onto a pillow, and the blankets were tucked fastidiously around him.

"Y-yami?" he murmured weakly.

"Ssssh, hikari. Go to sleep." Bakura's voice was – gentle? Soothing?

Ryou's eyes closed despite himself. He snuggled deep into the blankets like a little hamster, shifting instinctively as his thousands of fresh bruises made themselves known. The blankets were already stained a deep red.

Bakura stood over him for a moment. When he was sure Ryou was asleep, he turned and saw Malik gazing at them with a strange expression on his face. For a few minutes, neither spoke as they looked silently down at Ryou. His soft white hair was spread messily around his pale face, which was covered in bruises.

Malik felt a sudden pang. _He looks so young…_

Bakura felt the Tomb Keeper's gaze shift from Ryou to himself, and half-turned around. "What?" he murmured, careful not to wake his hikari.

"You…you're such a confusing person, Bakura," Malik whispered. "First you hurt Ryou until you practically kill him, then you're so-" He stopped, struggling for an appropriate word. "So _kind,"_ he finished finally. "Why?"

There was silence, then Bakura said, "So, are we going to steal the knife or not?" He still hadn't answered Malik's question, and both knew he never would.

Malik shrugged. "Makes no difference to me. But if you still want to, I'll help you."

Bakura nodded. "Then let's go."

……….

A little while later, they walked carefully down the hallway. Bakura lifted up his feet and put them down carefully, avoiding any noise. He had memorised the location of the creaky floorboards yesterday, but was determined not to take any chances.

It was half past eleven, and they hoped everyone would be asleep by now. Emphasise the word "hoped." They were about half-way along to the corridor when a torch was snapped on, enveloping them both in its glare, and a voice said, "Shouldn't you boys be in bed?"

Bakura shrank against the wall like a rabbit caught in a car's headlights. Malik recognised the uniform the woman was wearing, and sighed in relief. It was only a maid on her nightly patrol around the inn. Squat and ugly, she resembled a pug dog. Malik looked into her small, piggy eyes. It doesn't matter. Leave us. There was no one here.

The woman's eyes were blank as she waddled off obediently in the opposite direction. Bakura watched her bulk disappear in distaste. He looked down and snickered quietly as he saw Malik's hand was in his pocket.

…………..

"Here we are." Malik kept his voice down to a murmur, having learnt the hard way that a murmur is much harder to detect than a whisper.

"Step aside. This is my area of expertise." There was a shadow of a smile on Malik's face as he moved back to give Bakura more room.

The white-haired spirit looked at the door with a critical eye, then plunged his hands into his jacket to select his tools. He rooted around for a few moments, then produced a small can. He oiled the door hinges with practised ease. Then he took a paperclip from his pocket and proceeded to pick the lock.

"'Kura, how long will you be?" Malik was a lot less at ease than Bakura, and kept stealing nervous glances over his shoulder.

In contrast, the Tomb Robber wasn't the least bit worried, having done this sort of thing hundreds of times before. "Just a moment." He jiggled the paperclip expertly, and as he spoke the door swung silently open.

Bakura stepped into the room, to realise Malik wasn't following. "Malik? You coming in?"

His friend shook his head. "I'll keep watch outside."

"Scared?" Bakura mouthed silently.

Malik raised an eyebrow in sardonic amusement. "You wish. Just think of it as a tomb. You're the robber and I'm the keeper."

The spirit of the Ring thought about that for a second. "Actually, it makes sense." He handed Malik the paperclip. "Open the door if anything happens."

Malik took it. "The Rod will keep any intruders away," he said in slight disdain.

Bakura smirked. "All of them?" He pointed to himself with a grin. "Hasn't worked so far then, has it?"

Malik gave him an exasperated look. "Just try not to get caught." He closed the door noiselessly.

Bakura snorted. "Me, get caught? As if." He used his shadow powers to make the Ring glow slightly, and it lit up the room in front of him. He crossed the room carefully, making less noise than a shadow, until he reached the bed where Will lay sleeping. Will's bed was in the middle, with Lyra and Yami on either side of him. Bakura glanced at Yami nervously, before casting the Ring's light around Will's bed. He looked on the bedside table, but it was empty. _Damn, damn, damn._ He hoped Will didn't sleep with the knife under his pillow. _I bet he does, just to make things more awkward, that stupid little- _His thoughts trailed off as he wondered how he was going to do this. And what if the knife wasn't under the pillow, but somewhere else altogether? Bakura doubted that, though. He had a sudden feeling that the knife was there. And he trusted his feelings. _Now how can I get the knife out from under that stupid pillow?_

Holding a corner of the pillow, he gradually raised it upwards until he could see underneath. Yami gave a loud snore and turned over. Bakura almost jumped, but controlled himself. _Malik was right. That baka Pharaoh snores so loudly I'm surprised he doesn't wake himself up._ He put his free hand under the pillow, feeling carefully. After a few tense moments he felt the cold smooth surface of a blade, and drew out the subtle knife in satisfaction. He looked at it carefully; turning it over to make sure it was the right one. There was no mistake – it was the subtle knife.

He made his way back across the room, more cautious than ever. This was the time when robbers usually got caught – after they had stolen their prize, they started relaxing. Bakura didn't make that mistake. His body tensed as he passed Lyra, ready to run like lightning if anyone woke up. But they didn't.

He reached the door and turned the handle. Malik was waiting outside; leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, he looked asleep. "Some guard you turned out to be," Bakura muttered.

Malik opened his violet eyes. "Actually, I was waiting for you to come out _this week."_ His voice was calm and not at all sleepy. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah." Bakura showed him the knife.

"Should I look after it?"

In reply, Bakura tossed the knife to him, making it spin through the air. Malik reached out and caught it, handle first. Bakura was impressed but tried not to show it.

Malik stuck the subtle knife in his pocket. "It can keep my Rod company." There was a sudden flash of light, and Malik hastily removed the knife and put it in his other pocket. "Perhaps not," he concluded ruefully.

"Why? What happened?" Bakura asked in interest.

Malik shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the Rod sensed another magical object nearby and got jealous. Who knows?"

"Shall we go now?"

Malik nodded and they slunk back to their room.

………..

Taking control again, Bakura went back into his hikari's body and fell asleep almost immediately, as spirits usually did.

Malik got changed quickly, pulling on the over-sized T-shirt that he slept in. Picking his clothes up from the floor, he placed them on the bed and folded them carefully, making sure each item was folded in exactly the same way. Then, putting them back in the wardrobe, while painstakingly making sure that they were still neatly folded, he began the process of counting all his clothes, to make sure they were still there. To people like Bakura this seemed ridiculous, but for Malik, his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder meant that little 'rituals' like this were perfectly normal.

Checking one last time, he eventually climbed back into bed, but not before counting silently to a hundred, just to make sure.

…………

(A/N: Most authors, if they decide that Malik has OCD, portray it in a purely humorous way. I included the last bit because OCD (Which is Obsessive _Compulsive _Disorder, and not a _Cleaning_ one, as many people seem to think) is a serious mental disorder, and I just wanted to sort of make that point clear.)


	9. Anger

(A/N: OK, this is gonna turn out to be quite a long story, from the way things are heading. I've drafted out a couple more chapters, and by the time this fic is finished I'm guessing there will be around twenty, and probably about 40,000 words.

This chapter seemed to flow quite well, and I didn't spend all that long writing it (although I re-wrote it four times. Damn my perfectionist nature!)

Oh, and in answer to a question asked:

Q: Why did Bakura and Malik want to steal the Subtle Knife in the first place, if only Will can use it?

A: Because Bakura gets these kleptomanic urges from time to time, and if there's something valuable lying near him, he HAS to steal it. It's his nature. Malik helped him cos he likes getting together with Bakura and causing trouble. Which, believe me, is exactly what happens in this chapter.

Warnings: Bad language, a few yaoi hints/references, and some violence.

Che: shit

Gomen: sorry

Daijoubou desu ka? : Are you alright?

Desu ka: I'm fine

Mou hitori no boku: The other me (please note that 'boku' is the modest form of I/me, and that arrogant people like Yami Bakura use 'ore.')

………………

Chapter Nine: Anger...

Bakura woke up feeling tired, which was unusual for him, and gave a massive yawn that lasted at least a minute. Then he remembered the knife, and his face split into a triumphant grin. Still yawning, he got changed and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for his hikari to wake up.

…………

Ryou also woke up feeling tired, and automatically tried to turn over before he found he couldn't move. Panic gripped him; it was replaced by miserable resignation as he realised his yami was in total control. He must have been awake already – Ryou could feel his dark half mentally watching him.

The spirit of the Ring bounced their body off the bed, and Ryou sensed that he was in an unusually good mood. He was still wary though, as his yami was extremely temperamental and was capable of losing his temper very suddenly.

Bakura stood in front of the mirror, carefully checking his reflection to make sure he looked exactly like Ryou. He flattened his hair, which was trying to spring into his trademark devil horns, and made sure his eyes were Ryou's puppy dog ones, and not narrowed. Hmm. Was his posture too confident? He imagined a thousand people all staring intently at him and his stance easily became more self-conscious and nervous. ((Perfect.))

Malik had already gone down to breakfast, and Bakura spent at least ten minutes trying to find the dining room. He eventually asked a maid for directions, and found that by giving her sad little puppy dog eyes she was more than willing to help. "You poor dear!" were her exact words, and Bakura made a mental note to send her to the Shadow Realm.

He sat down between Yugi and Lyra, and the former gave him a warm smile. "Morning, Ryou! Would you like some cereal?"

Bakura forced himself to smile back. "Yes please." ((My Ra, I can't believe I actually used that word. Ugh. I'm going to have to wash my mouth out with soap after breakfast.)) Yugi passed him the box and he tipped some into a bowl and poured milk in. Being a spirit, Bakura didn't actually need to eat, but Ryou did, and Bakura wanted his body to stay in fairly good condition. He ate the food slowly, thinking hard.

(Where's the knife?) Ryou asked timidly.

((None of your business.))

"Ryou, do you want some water?" Malik passed Bakura a glass and added in a whisper, "It IS Ryou, isn't it?"

((If I can fool Malik, I can fool anyone.)) The spirit gave his friend a smile. "Yeah."

Ryou struggled against his yami almost without realising it, but stopped when his cold voice said, ((Fight me and I'll give you a beating that'll make yesterday look like fun.))

The hikari sat huddled miserably in the corner of his soul room, arms wrapped around his legs. (G-gomen.)

After breakfast, everyone trooped back upstairs to their rooms. Bakura looked the door carefully before turning to Malik and saying, "Shall we try out the knife now?"

Malik gave him a look of slight amazement. "At breakfast…that was you, wasn't it?"

Bakura laughed softly. "Fooled you, didn't I?"

Malik nodded reluctantly, then drew the subtle knife out of his pocket and handed it to Bakura, handle first. The white-haired spirit tested the sharpness of the knife by running his finger lightly along the edge of the blade. A thin red line appeared on his finger. The cut was shallow, with little blood, but he licked it anyway.

Then he held the knife in the air and tried to open another world, but nothing happened. He tried moving it slowly through the air, slashing with it like a normal knife, and about a hundred other ways. After several (thousand) unsuccessful attempts he started getting frustrated. "Stupid thing…"

"May I?" Bakura shrugged and handed Malik the knife. The teenager looked at it thoughtfully. It didn't seem to be enough to simply use it like a normal knife, he mused. You had to be one with it, to let you soul flow into it. He pretended it was the Rod. _Like part of you._ He raised the knife and felt in the air. There it was – almost a ripple, a slight disturbance. He cut along and down. Bakura let out an involuntary gasp of amazement.

A window hung in the air, a pathway to another world. Looking through it they could see a barren desert, with swirling winds and endless plains, with the occasional cactus. Malik reached up slowly and closed the window. It was easy – you just pinched the edges together.

The Tomb Robber looked at his friend with awe and genuine respect written across his face. "How the hell did you do that?"

Malik just shrugged modestly.

There was a bang, and the door flew open to reveal an absolutely furious Yami. "I knew it!" he shrieked.

Malik glared at the Ring-spirit. "I thought you locked the door."

"I did!" Bakura protested. "He must've kicked it open!"

"Well?" Yami glowered daggers at the guilty pair.

Fortunately Malik had had the presence of mind to shove the subtle knife in his pocket at the sudden sound, and he stood there looking the picture of innocence. "What?"

"Empty your pockets!" Yami demanded.

"Why?"

"Because…because I'm the Pharaoh and I order you to!"

The Tomb Keeper snickered. "You haven't been Pharaoh for three thousand years."

"Just empty your pockets!"

Malik calmly put his hand in his right pocket and brought out the Millennium Rod. "Anything else?" he sneered.

"And the other one!" Yami snapped.

"…What's in this pocket will do. I suggest you leave us, _Pharaoh."_ Malik's voice was menacingly low as he held the Rod loosely in one hand, looking Yami right in the eyes. Leave us leave us leave us…

Yami's body shook as he fought it. He kicked out, suddenly, and Malik dropped the Rod in surprise. _My Ra, the Pharaoh has a strong will._

Yami was seething in anger. "How dare you try and use that thing on me?" The Sennen Eye was glowing brightly on his forehead, and Yugi split off and looked at him pleadingly.

"Aibou, please calm down…"

"Like hell I will!"

Will appeared in the doorway, with Lyra standing behind him. "Yugi, have you found my knife yet – oh." He blinked. "Um, am I seeing double or are there two Yugis?"

After a moment the Sennen Eye flickered away, and Yami sighed. "I…think we have some explaining to do."

Bakura snorted. "Why? I'll just erase their memories."

The Ring glowed, but Yami cried frantically, "No! We should just tell them the truth!"

"Why?"

"Because they were bound to find out at some point! Anyway, you owe them an explanation, about stealing the knife at least."

The Ring spirit smiled nastily. "Well, if that's how you feel, I'm sure a more _permanent _solution can be arranged…" Black mist appeared around Lyra and Will.

"You – you stupid Tomb Robber! You can't just send them to the Shadow Realm!" Yami spluttered.

The smoke disappeared; Bakura raised and lowered a shoulder in acquiescence. "Fine. Explain everything. But make it quick."

"Why are there two Yugis?" Lyra asked, her eyes flicking from Yami to Yugi, and back to Yami.

Yami sighed, thinking he may as well start from the beginning. "Well, actually **that's** the real Yugi." He pointed to his aibou. "I'm his…er…dark half. His yami."

"Yamis are evil," Bakura interrupted.

"You're not helping, Tomb Robber! And I'm not evil. Anyway, Yugi is my reincarnation. I was woken up when he solved the Puzzle. Together we are one whole person."

"Wait a moment. Are you saying you live in that?" Lyra pointed to the Puzzle around Yami's neck.

"Yeah, sort of."

"How do you fit in there?" Lyra was confused.

Yami, on the other hand, was getting frustrated. "Because I'm a spirit and that's what spirits can do! Look!" He went back into the Puzzle and it reappeared around Yugi's neck.

Lyra and Will looked at Yugi uncertainly. "Where – where did he go?" Lyra stammered.

Yugi tapped the Puzzle gently. "In here. Although he's in my head as well. While I wear the Puzzle we can talk to each other."

Yami took over. "Or I can talk to you. Hello, by the way."

"You're…different. Not loads. But you look a little bit different." Will scratched his head. "Sort of taller. And your eyes are different."

"That's because it's not Yugi talking to you right now. It's his yami."

"Oookay…Um, does Ryou have a weird spirit thing living inside him as well?" Will asked.

"Refer to me as "a weird spirit thing" again and I'll send you to the Shadow Realm," Bakura growled.

Will looked slightly alarmed. He had no idea what a Shadow Realm was, but it didn't sound very nice. "Can I talk to the other Ryou? The proper one?" Under his breath Will added– "I think I liked him better."

"You don't need to talk to him. He's fine how he is."

(Yami, let me out!)

((Uresei.))

Will looked helplessly at Yami, who separated again. "Tomb Robber, stop being difficult and let Ryou out."

"Why should I?" Bakura challenged.

"You can't treat Ryou like that!"

"I can do anything I want to my hikari. You can't stop me."

Yami was about to strangle him there and then, but Will interrupted him. "What's a hikari?"

"It's Japanese. Like yami is Japanese for dark. Hikari is the opposite, it means light. Its how you can refer to the non-yami parts of us. Or you can use omote. But I really don't like using those words. I prefer 'aibou.'"

Bakura groaned in exasperation. "Pharaoh, you're so _kind _that it's pathetic." Seeing Will and Lyra's blank looks, he added, "Aibou means partner, if you look it up in a dictionary. But some consider it a bit more. You know, best friend, soul mate, that sort of thing. And of course, when the Pharaoh uses the word _partner_ he means in _that_ way." He rolled his eyes. "Sentimentality is a sign of weakness. I prefer 'yadonushi.' It's a much better substitute."

"Y-yadonushi?" Lyra repeated. "What's that mean?"

A spasm of disgust crossed Yami's face. "It means host, or landlord. That's all he considers Ryou to be. His host." He glared at Bakura, who willingly glared back.

"What do we call you?" Will asked slowly. "Dark Yugi and Dark Ryou?"

"Well, back at home we get called Yami and Bakura. You can use those names, if you want."

Bakura grinned. "Although you can also call him Pharaoh, Baka, Yarou, Zoko, Hikari Fucker…"

"Take that back!" Yami shrieked.

"Ooooh, someone's getting defensive. Why don't you like being called a hikari fucker? Is it because it's _true?"_

"It's none of your business!"

"Hikari fucker! Hikari fucker!" Bakura chanted.

Beams of shadow power came from the Ring and Puzzle, clashing together several times with loud bangs. Lyra realised after a few minutes of this that she wasn't going to get any more out of them for a while, and sat down on the sofa next to Yugi and Malik. Will joined them.

"Could I have the knife back?" he asked, a little awkwardly. Malik handed it over with obvious reluctance, but didn't say anything.

Lyra stared at the fighting yamis in wonder. "I thought Ryou and Yugi got on so well…" she murmured.

"We do," Yugi said. "But my aibou and Bakura hate each other. They always have."

"It's quite understandable. After all, the Pharaoh is such a baka – "

"Don't talk about my aibou like that!" Yugi screeched.

Malik smirked. "I am _so_ sorry."

More to prevent an argument between Malik and Yugi than anything else, Lyra decided to ask them some questions to distract their attention. "So you're wearing a puzzle, right? What is Ryou's thing called?"

"Ryou has the Millennium Ring. There are seven Millennium Items in all, each with their own powers. But not all of them have a yami inside. Malik also has an Item – the Millennium Rod. Why don't you show them?" This last comment was directed at Malik.

With an uninterested shrug, he took the Rod carefully out of his pocket and showed it to them.

"What does it do?" Lyra asked curiously.

Malik gave an unpleasant smile. "Mind control. I can go inside your mind, see what you're thinking. And I could make you do whatever I want. Need a demonstration?"

Yugi opened his mouth to protest, but too late. Instead he said very slowly and clearly, "The Pharaoh is a baka and I hate him. Also, we spend all our spare time fucking each other."

Malik released control, grinning. "There you go."

Yugi was furious. "That wasn't fair! Why did it have to be me? And what did you make me say?"

Malik gave one of his annoying grins. "The truth."

Pan sniffed the Rod with his mouse-nose. "It smells strange."

"Do you have a yami as well?" Lyra asked.

The room suddenly turned silent. Malik turned away from Lyra and looked carefully at the floor. Yami and Bakura actually stopped arguing. Everyone except Will looked at Lyra, who blushed slightly. "Did I say something wrong?" she whispered.

"Um…yeah." Yugi admitted. Malik didn't say anything.

Yami hesitated. "Well, there **is** a Yami no Malik…" His voice trailed off into silence. He looked at Bakura. "You tell them about him."

"Me?" Bakura demanded. "Why me? And what is there to tell?"

"Well, I don't really know much about him," Yami mumbled.

"What, and you think I do?"

Yami didn't say anything.

"All right! I'll tell them!" Bakura snarled. He faced Lyra and Will. "Malik's yami…well he looks a bit like him, but he has a totally different personality. Totally different. He's completely insane, and just out of control, really crazy. His only hobby is killing people. Psychopathic would be an appropriate word to describe him. Also, he's extremely hyperactive. He get his kicks out of watching people die. There, I said it. Happy now, Pharaoh?"

"Well I thought we should get everything out in the open!" Yami said defensively.

"Yeah, sure! Can't you see Malik doesn't want to hear about him?"

Everyone's eyes slid automatically to the hikari in question, who was still looking determinedly at the floor. Bakura glared at Yami again. "Why do you always have to rub things in, Pharaoh?"

Yami flared up. "Don't talk to me like that!"

"I can talk to you however I bloody well want!"

"Shut up!"

"After you!"

Yami's hands were balled into fists, and he was shaking with fury. Yugi slid off the sofa and ran up to him. "Aibou, please! Don't fight Bakura again. Just ignore him."

Yami looked at Bakura, who was smiling nastily. Yami growled and took a step forward, but Yugi stopped him. "Aibou, if you love me AT ALL you will walk away and sit on the sofa."

"But aibou!" Yami protested. He looked helplessly from Yugi to Bakura, and then back to Yugi.

"Please." Yugi gave him his famous puppy dog eyes.

Bakura smirked. "Come on Pharaoh, do what your little pet tells you."

The Pharaoh looked as if he was about to lunge at the Tomb Robber. "Aibou…" his hikari said warningly.

Yami sighed heavily and turned away. "All right, aibou." He walked slowly towards the sofa and sat down.

Yugi smiled. "Thank you." He gave his yami a hug. Yami returned it, and looked up to see Bakura laughing softly. The Pharaoh closed his eyes. _Ignore him ignore him ignore him…_ He opened his eyes.

"Hikari fucker," Bakura whispered.

Yami let out a feral scream and launched himself at his enemy. Beams of shadow power hurled themselves at Bakura, who calmly dodged them all. He sent dark energy back at Yami, who only just ducked in time. When he stood up, everyone could see that the tips of his tri-coloured hair were smoking. A sudden plan occurred to the Ring spirit, and he gave an evil grin. Yami interpreted this as further provocation and sent a beam of yellow power at Bakura, who didn't bother to dodge. Instead, he separated and let his hikari take the blow.

Ryou didn't even have time to call out before the attack hit him and he crumpled to the ground. Yami turned pale with shock, and Yugi leapt off the sofa and raced to the white-haired boy's side.

Will and Lyra stared in amazement as Ryou 'appeared.' "Are-are you the _real_ Ryou?" Lyra asked nervously.

The Ring-holder nodded weakly.

"Ryou, daijoubou desu ka? Mou hitori no boku didn't mean to hurt you, honestly…"

"Desu ka…" Ryou whispered haltingly, trying to will the pain away.

Bakura looked down at him without concern. "Oh look, Pharaoh. You hurt my host. I'm going to have to get you for that."

"W-what?" stammered Yami.

There was a sadistic glint in Bakura's eyes. "No one is allowed to hurt my yadonushi…except me." He kicked Ryou in the ribs, and he fell back down with a moan.

Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Make inu…" (Japanese: pathetic dog)

Bakura snickered. "Coming from you, Pharaoh, that's practically a compliment." He looked at Yugi and Ryou with a sneer on his face. "So weak…" He took a step towards them.

Yami's face went, if possible, even paler. "Tomb Robber, you touch one hair of my aibou's head and I'll…"

Bakura shook his head pityingly. "I wasn't talking about YOUR hikari. Although he's not much better." The Ring glowed brightly, and Ryou started shaking in pain. His yami smiled, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Aww…are you all right yadonushi?" The Ring glowed again. "Just start screaming. Then I'll stop."

Ryou let out a mental cry as Bakura grabbed his mind and twisted hard. Yugi helped him get up and, supporting him, managed to pull Ryou onto the sofa, where he lay shaking.

Bakura's eyes bored into him. "Very good, my little vessel. Now do it out loud."

"Where is he hurting you?" Yugi whispered.

"Inside…"

"Can I try something my aibou taught me?" When Ryou didn't protest, Yugi put a hand on his shoulder and concentrated. The white-haired hikari gasped slightly as he felt his friend absorbing some of his pain, taking it away. Bakura felt him starting to recover, and decided to teach the Pharaoh's little pet a lesson.

Ryou's breathing was calming down, and he was caught unaware as a sudden wave of agony washed over him. Yugi pulled his hand away as if it had been slapped. "There's too much…"

Yami turned, keeping his eyes on Bakura. "Aibou? What are you doing? I can feel you hurting." He aimed another blow at Bakura, who side-stepped with a mocking smile on his face.

((Come on host, I want to hear you scream.))

(No…)

((Show the Pharaoh and his little pet how pathetic you are.))

(You bastard I hate you fucking bastard always hurting me I hate you hate you hate you)

Bakura stared. "What did you just say, yadonushi?"

Ryou got off the sofa carefully and walked over to his other half. "I HATE YOU!" he screamed.

The spirit blinked, unsure whether he had heard correctly. "What?"

"I said I fucking well hate you!"

The spirit of the Ring didn't say anything. Then he kicked his host in the stomach. Lyra gasped.

Ryou barely felt it. "Go on, hurt me! That's all you ever do! I'm fed up with it!"

"My Ra." Both hikari and yami turned to see Malik looking at them. It was the first thing he had said since the arguments had begun. "You know Ryou, you really should've just screamed when Bakura told you to. Then at least he would have left you alone. You really are stupid."

Ryou turned pale, and he walked up to him with the intention of doing _something,_ he didn't know what. But Yami got there first. "Ryou's been brave enough to stand up to the Tomb Robber, and all you do is tell him he should've given in? And when you've probably stood there watching him get beaten up every single day for the past year? You-you _cowardly bastard!"_

Malik's face turned white. "What the fuck did you just call me, Pharaoh?"

"I called you a cowardly bastard, because that's exactly what you are!"

The Egyptian teen rose from the sofa, clutching the Millennium Rod. "I'll teach you to call me a coward!"

There was a pulling sound and Yami Malik split off. His hikari realised instantly. "Che!" he exclaimed.

……………

A/N: Yup, that was an evil place to end. Well, I wanted a bit of a cliff hanger somewhere in this fic, so there you go.

In case anyone didn't realise, it wasn't Malik who said all that stuff to Ryou, it was his yami. And he was silent while Ryou and Bakura were arguing because he was trying to fight his yami's control, but his yami won, and said those things to Ryou about how he should give in. Yami Malik woke up shortly after Yami mentioned his name, and he split off because it would make it harder for Malik to fight him.


	10. and its consequences

(A/N: the violence continues…mwahahahahaha…

Oh, and for all you anti-Yami Malik people out there, this is a pretty good excuse to continue hating him.

I've changed the story genre from drama/action/adventure to angst/action/adventure, cos of all the stuff I've got planned for later on.)

Warnings: violence, bad language, general mayhem

Dicslaimer: if I did own Yu-gi-oh, it would not be Yu-gi-oh as we know it. Especially the dub. For a start I would take all sentimentality and Anzu-friendship-talks out, then I would re-write Malik's plot line so it isn't a load of messed-up crap, then I would give Ryou and Bakura the attention they deserve, and then…well, you get the message.

Chapter Ten: …and its consequences.

His darker half chuckled softly. It wasn't a nice sound. Focusing his shadow powers, he drained his hikari's strength into the Rod, to make sure he wouldn't get in the way. Malik collapsed onto the sofa. Yami Malik looked down at his semi-conscious hikari and smiled. "That's what happens when you try and fight me." He looked at Yami, and his smile grew even wider. "Hello Pharaoh. Long time, no see." A careless glance at Ryou: "By the way, it was me who told you to scream a few minutes ago, not my weak little hikari. Just in case you were wondering."

Ryou's eyes travelled to Malik, who was lying motionless on the sofa, and he clenched his fists.

Yami Malik followed his gaze. In a voice of mock-sadness he remarked casually, "_Such_ a pity. Actually, I admit I was surprised how much he fought me when I told you to give in to the Tomb Robber. I had to hit him quite hard to shut him up."

Will, who was following the events with shock, reached over and shook Malik's shoulder softly. "What did his yami do to him?"

"I don't know." Yugi's voice was a whisper. "I think he'll live. But whatever you do, don't make a sound, or Yami no Malik will almost certainly kill you instantly. If you're lucky. If he stops to think, he'll probably torture you first."

Will's eyes widened. "Is he really that insane?"

Yugi nodded grimly. "You think Malik can be scary at times? Or Bakura? That's nothing compared to Malik's yami. He's the sort of person who makes Bakura look like a baby by comparison."

They watched as the Pyscho raised the Rod high above his head. "I shall enjoy watching you die, Pharaoh."

"Oh shit…" Yami mumbled, edging slowly backwards.

Yami Malik's trademark insane grin appeared on his face. "Going somewhere? I don't think so." Purple mist appeared around Yami's ankles, preventing him from moving. The Psycho walked forward, sniggering. "I don't believe I've ever had so much fun in my life."

Bakura decided it was time to intervene. Much as he hated the Pharaoh, he hated the Psycho a lot more. Especially after what he had done to Malik. Bakura didn't have many friends, but Malik was one of them. Speaking loudly, wanting to attract Yami Malik's attention, he stated, "Pharaoh, you are _pathetic."_ He used the Ring's powers to break the Rod's control over Yami, whose crimson eyes went wide at the thought that the Tomb Robber was _helping _him. "Hey Psycho, why don't you try killing someone who can fight back?" The Ring glowed, and purple-black smoke unfurled around the other spirit in an attempt to banish him to the Shadow Realm. But nothing happened.

Yami Malik snickered. "Challenge accepted. And by the way Tomb Robber, I agree with you. The Pharaoh really is pathetic. How about we show him what a yami is _really _capable of?" He waved the Rod. Bakura was hurled across the room and smashed into the wall. There was a hideous crack. The white-haired spirit slid slowly down the wall, leaving a red smear behind him.

Lyra gasped involuntarily at the sight.. "Yugi, is Bakura going to be alright?"

"He'll be fine. It takes a lot more than that to get rid of Bakura. Not that Ryou hasn't ever tried." There was a tinge of sadness in Yugi's voice, mingled with pity. "My God, I'm glad I don't have the Ring."

"Can't he get rid of it?" the girl whispered. "Throw it away?"

"No. When he does, it always comes back. And Bakura just punishes him more." Yugi looked down at the floor. "I didn't believe it for a while, the things Bakura did to Ryou. But I do now." He sighed. "And for all that, I think he still cares about him. A little. Not that Bakura deserves it."

Their eyes followed Yami Malik as he stood over the Tomb Robber, giggling hysterically.

Will was looking distinctly unsettled. "Why…why is he _giggling?_ I mean, I could understand if he did an evil laugh, the way Malik and Bakura do, but _giggling?_"

"It's a psychological thing," Yugi explained in a whisper. "It unnerves opponents. Also, he finds death and destruction and all that stuff funny, so he giggles. He's insane, remember?"

Yami Malik heard himself being mentioned. He turned, and gave the teens crouched on the sofa an evil grin. "You want me to laugh instead, weaklings? I'll show you how I laugh." His hair flaring out in crazy spikes, he threw back his head and let loose a maniacal cackle, the awful sound echoing around the room and bouncing off the blood-stained walls. The spark of insanity dancing clearly in his purple eyes, he walked over to them and smiled. "You like it when I laugh, don't you? Just like everything else I do. Come on weaklings, just give me an excuse."

The Millennium Rod spun through the air, but Yugi saw it coming and dodged it by a millimetre. The Rod was impaled in a cushion exactly where his head had been a second before. Yugi, Will and Lyra leapt off the sofa and ducked behind it, dragging an unconscious Malik with them. Panting heavily, the three teens pressed themselves into the furniture, wishing they could become a part of it.

"Aww, you want to play hide and seek? I love playing. Come out and play with me, little weaklings."

Yugi chanced a glance upwards, and jumped as he saw the spirit had climbed onto the sofa and was looking down at them, grinning madly. As well as the obvious pleasure, there was also something oddly child-like in the pointed features. Yugi was suddenly reminded of a young kid with a machine gun. A very crazy kid with a very large machine gun.

"Hey Pharaoh, your hikari's going to die now. What're you going to do about it?" Yami Malik called in a sing-song voice, still giggling.

In answer, a blast came from the Puzzle, knocking the Millennium Rod out of his hand and onto the floor. Yami grabbed it.

The Psycho's expression flicked from hyperactive to murderous, so quickly it was frightening. "Pharaoh, get your filthy hands off that _now."_

Yami shrugged, and made a gesture as if to snap the Rod in half. He let out a cry as it suddenly became white hot, scorching his palms, and dropped it.

Yami Malik smiled. The Rod reappeared in his hand, and he raised it slowly. "Now Pharaoh, where were we?"

Will shivered. "Oh my God, he really is insane."

Yugi sighed. "Don't you remember Bakura telling you earlier?"

"Yeah, but I thought he meant just a bit, well, weird. I didn't realise he meant actually insane."

"Manic-depressive, actually," Malik whispered. "It means he switches between being hyper and depressed. And there's always the psychotic part of him too."

Realising he had woken up, the Puzzle-holder looked at him in obvious concern. "You okay? Remember anything?"

"A bit. He took over just after Ryou and Bakura started yelling at each other. The last thing I recall is him splitting off…" The hikari looked around dazedly. "W-what's happening now?"

Will and Yugi exchanged worried glances. The latter said slowly, "Well, he tried to hurt my aibou but Bakura stopped him, so your yami g-got him instead…"

Sudden horror and realisation dawning in Malik's wide eyes, he pulled himself up with an effort and looked around the sofa. Seeing Bakura lying in a tangled pile on the floor, covered in blood, he let out a strangled moan. "Oh Ra…"

Ryou hesitated, then ran up to his fallen yami. "Hey, you want help?"

Bakura's eyes widened. "…Hikari, why are you helping me?" he whispered.

"I've no idea," the light said coldly. "Come on before I change my mind." He looked at his yami's leg, which was bent at an odd angle below him. "Can you stand?"

Bakura took Ryou's outstretched hand and tried to get up, but a spasm of pain made him fall to the ground. "I-I think my leg is broken…"

"It'll heal if you go back into the Ring." Ryou pulled his yami up, and he clutched at a nearby chair for support.

"I really don't think you'll have time to go back into the Ring." The Psycho stood over them, smiling eerily. Yami lay in a senseless heap in the corner, and the psychotic spirit had come after his next victim. "Tomb Robber, would you like to die first?"

"Fucking bastard." Bakura could barely stand, but he was still defiant.

"I'll take that as a yes." Yami Malik raised the Rod, but someone stood in front of him, blocking his aim. It was his hikari.

"Don't you dare hurt either of them or I'll-"

The spirit raised an eyebrow, amused. "Or you'll what? Everyone knows what the Tomb Robber does to his hikari. But no one knows what you do to me. Would you like me to tell them? About how you-"

"S-shut up," the hikari whispered. His yami had taken all of his strength and put it into himself, and Malik was barely strong enough to talk.

"That's your answer to everything," the Psycho said, with another one of his insane smiles flitting across his face. "Would you like me to shut _you_ up? How about permanently? I was planning on killing you last of all, my weak little hikari, but I'm quite happy to do it now."

Ryou stood up. He was shaking from head to toe, but not with fear. With fury. Yami Malik took one look at him and burst into laughter. "Weakling, are you going to try and defend my hikari?"

Ryou's eyes had a red glint in them. Taking a deep breath, he shrieked out words in a language that few people knew or understood. The room instantly turned dark. Sinister black flames rose up from the floor, and Ryou was surrounded by an angry blue light. Black mist encircled Yami Malik, trapping and ensnaring his body. Fiery shadows lapped at his feet, and he realised what was going to happen as they grew larger and larger, smothering him.

"I'll kill you all!" he screamed suddenly. "All of you! The Pharaoh, the Tomb Robber, everyone! Especially YOU." He pointed at Ryou with a shaking finger, and his face was contorted with hate. Then the flames consumed his body, and he vanished.

The room suddenly became light again, and the fires disappeared. Malik could feel his yami forced back into his soul room, barely alive, and his body shook violently as his darker half re-entered him. He spent the very last of his remaining strength rebuilding the mental barriers. The effort exhausted him, and he lay down on the floor. Noticing that the Rod was lying next to him, he picked it up weakly and as he did so his strength was released from it, and flowed back into him. Malik pulled himself up and leaned back against the wall, eyes half-closed.

Ryou crouched down next to him. "Remember last night, when you said you'd saved my life? I think we're equal now." Malik nodded soundlessly.

Bakura was still gaping at where Yami Malik had stood. "H-hikari? How the hell did you do that? Even I can't do that."

Ryou shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, you have other things to worry about right now."

"Like what?"

"Malik," Ryou said softly.

Bakura followed his hikari's gaze to where the Egyptian was. He was sitting up, clutching his head, and looking like he was about to cry. Understanding appeared on the spirit's face. "Oh Ra." He limped painfully over to where his best friend sat. "Hey, Malik?"

The teenager looked up dully. His eyes were dry, but Bakura could clearly see he was on the verge of tears. "How could I have let him out?" he whispered. "I promised myself I wouldn't and-"

Bakura sighed. "Come on. Let's talk." He put an arm around his friend, and together they walked slowly to the door. Ryou hesitated a moment, then followed.

…………

The room was unlocked, so Ryou went straight in. Malik was sitting on the sofa and Bakura was next to him. He was comforting his friend as well as he could. "Look, no one can hold their other back all the time. It's impossible. He was going to come out sooner or later, and he happened to choose that particular moment. Don't beat yourself up about it." He looked up and saw his hikari standing there silently. "Oi yadonushi, can you help?"

Anger was burning its way through Ryou. _So he wants help now does he?_

"With what?"

Bakura gestured towards the blonde-haired omote next to him. "I need a hikari view on things. What else do I say to him?"

"Oh, so now you want help from your hikari? What if I don't even want to be your hikari? Then what?" Ryou ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

There was a stunned silence from Bakura. "But-" He stopped as Malik got up and followed Ryou.

…………

(A/N: I appreciate I'm straying off the 'His Dark Materials' part of the fic quite a bit, but I can guarantee the next chapter is almost totally Amber Spyglass-orientated.

Also, Yami isn't as weak (in terms of shadow powers) as I made out in this chapter. He is actually a lot stronger than he appears, possibly more so than Yami Malik. But he doesn't really like using his powers (vaguely understandable, when you consider what the other two yamis use theirs for) and tends to hold himself back.

One last thing: I'm not going to be answering any of your questions about this chapter. Partly cos I want you to draw your own conclusions, and partly cos you'll find out everything later, I promise. Oooh, wait til you see all the things I have in store for you people…

Thank you for all your reviews. I can hardly believe I hit fifty!)


	11. The World of the Dead

A/N: well, I promised lots of Amber Spyglass-related stuff, so here you go. I twisted quite a few facts, but I feel I DO have a right to, seeing as this is a fanfic and all. Also, I wouldn't have felt like I was a proper writer if I simply copied all the detail and happenings from the original.

This is fairly long by my standards (over six thousand words!) and I can safely promise the chapters will get longer and looooonger from now on. With some justification, obviously, seeing all the things I've got planned for you people. Mwahahahaha…

Oh, also, this is NOT a straight forward abuse or abuseapology fic, OK? C'mon people, give me _some_ credit. You think I would give you one of them? No chance.

……………

Chapter Ten: The World of the Dead

Bakura wisely decided to give Ryou and Malik time to calm down, and it was nearly an hour later when he went to find them. He had got up carefully from the sofa, flinching when his wounded leg touched the ground. As he was a spirit, it had already started to heal, and he managed to hobble slowly out of the room.

He spent a while searching the inn for them, having to stop every few minutes to regain his breath. That was another reason to find his hikari – if he could just go back into the Ring and sleep for a few days his leg would heal a lot faster.

The Ring-spirit eventually found them outside on a bench, talking quietly. He was too far away to hear exactly what they were saying, which was probably just as well.

………….

"This is all my fault," Malik was saying miserably. "If I'd been able to hold him back for a bit longer then none of this would have happened."

Ryou put an arm around him. "But you held him back for days, even weeks. If it makes you feel any better, I've never been able to push my yami back enough. He always takes over whenever he feels like it."

Malik didn't answer.

"No one blames you for what your yami does," the Ring-holder said fiercely. "I don't even remember most of the things mine's done."

"But my yami's insane!" Malik whispered desperately. "All he ever does is kill people! I can't stop him!"

"Look, I know how you feel. Always having to be watchful, wondering if he'll try and take control, knowing that eventually he'll come out and do something, and that you can't stop him. But it's not your fault, okay?"

There was the sound of approaching footsteps, and both turned to see Bakura standing cautiously in front of them. Malik's face was carefully blank; Ryou was slightly angry at the unwelcome intrusion. This anger multiplied tenfold when he saw who it was. Ignoring this, Bakura went back into the Ring and wrestled control from his lighter half.

Ryou felt his yami enter the Ring, and immediately struggled against him. His efforts were, as usual, futile, and he was calmly pushed aside. Bakura arranged their body into a more comfortable position and looked at Malik.

"Are you annoyed with me?" he asked cautiously.

Malik shrugged uncertainly. "…Why do you treat Ryou like that?" he said suddenly.

Bakura stared at him blankly. "Like what?"

The Rod-holder knew exactly how Ryou felt, but couldn't put it into words. "Like…like he doesn't matter. Like he's just a vessel."

"Because he is," the spirit said simply.

His friend gave up, knowing nothing he said would make any difference. Bakura shrugged, and went back into his soul room. To Ryou's surprise, he was unexpectedly given back control.

Malik noticed the change, and Ryou said hopelessly, "I think I'd better go."

"Yeah." Malik's tone was understanding. "It was nice talking to you, by the way. Thanks for being so, well, understanding about stuff."

"It's okay." Ryou gave him a watery smile and walk back to the inn.

…………

It was five days later, and Bakura was now fully healed. His hikari had been increasingly rebellious over the last few days, which he found rather irritating. Bakura had got rid of Ryou's new-found defiance very simply but effectively: he had locked them in the room when he knew they wouldn't be disturbed, and hit his host ruthlessly until he finally gave in. It had taken over three hours, and both were exhausted by the end of it, but Ryou eventually broke, his defiance shattered, leaving behind a sobbing, beaten wreck. After this 'lesson,' the worst in over a year, Ryou stayed in his soul room, barely talking or even moving. His hatred of his yami was buried deeply under layers of terror and misery.

Bakura had become expert at acting like Ryou, and he easily fooled even Malik. Yami, the one person who would have stamped out this behaviour instantly if he had known, never suspected a thing.

…………

Bakura, Malik, Yugi and Yami, (who for the time being had separated from the Puzzle) were seated on various worn-out chairs in a big circle in one of the bedrooms. Will and Lyra sat in the middle with serious expressions on their faces. They had just finished explaining their plans to the group, who were feeling rather dazed by what they were being told.

"Could you remind us why we're here again?" Yami asked slowly. "There are still some things I don't understand." He played with the Puzzle as he spoke, feeling the warmth it gave off. There was no mention of a duel anywhere in this plan, so he really wasn't all that interested.

"OK, basically this is the situation," Will began. "Lyra and I want to go down to the World of the Dead together using the knife. This is 'cos there are ghosts down there that we want to talk to. Also, the alethiometer says it's the right thing to do. Lyra thinks that by going down to the World of the Dead we may be fulfilling an ancient prophecy made by the witches. The main question is this: do you want to come with us?"

His question, blunter then the first time he had explained their plans, resulted in silence as the three teenagers and one spirit (actually, it was two teenagers and two spirits, as Bakura was deliberating blanking his host out, but everyone thought it was Ryou in control) though hard.

"What happens if we say no?" Bakura asked suddenly. "Then what?"

"If you decide not to come with us, then- " Will had actually been hoping they would say yes - "well… I could open a world of your choosing and you could – "

"Looks like we don't have a choice then." There was a slight sneer in the Ring spirit's words.

"Well, if you feel that way about it-" Lyra began heatedly, but Yugi interrupted her.

"We'll come." He looked at his yami. "Aibou?"

Yami jumped guiltily and let go of the Puzzle. "I'm in." He hadn't actually been listening to what Will or Lyra had been saying, and only had a vague idea of what was going on.

"Malik?"

"…Yeah, okay."

"Ryou?"

Bakura nodded silently; aware that he would have to take care to act more friendly, or risk arousing Yugi and Yami's suspicions. Though the Pharaoh didn't seem to be paying attention, and his little pet was so naïve anyway that he would probably think that Ryou was just in a bad mood.

"I have a question."

Lyra looked at Malik quizzically. "Yeah?"

"What's this alethiometer thingy you keep mentioning?"

Lyra realised with a jolt that she hadn't actually explained what the alethiometer was or how it worked to her new friends. She hastily swung her rucksack round and took out her most prized possession. Unfolding the black cloth carefully, she took the object inside it and held it out for everyone to see. There was a scraping of chairs and a shifting of positions as everyone leaned in a closer look, except Will who had seen it many times before.

It was a strangely impressive sight. The heavy, compass-like instrument which lay in Lyra's lap had beautifully delicate hand-painted pictures around the outside (thirty-six to be exact) and three slender black hands that lay still and unmoving, locked into place for now. The fourth hand swung around independently.

"This is my alethiometer. I think there are only six or seven ever made."

"What does it _do?"_ Malik asked impatiently.

"It tells you the truth. Ask me a question, and I'll use the alethiometer to find the answer. It doesn't matter how complicated or difficult it is."

The Egyptian teen thought for a second. "All right, tell me…tell me what I used to do before I met them." He indicated Yugi and Bakura.

Lyra nodded eagerly, already pushing the hands into place. Pan, in his mouse shape, helped her. The fourth hand swung round and round, faster than the eye could follow, stopping at pictures and then continuing its journey.

Eventually Lyra looked up, blinking and sighing as if she was coming out of a trance. "I don't understand all of the answer," she began cautiously. "But it was something like this. You created a gang called the Ghouls, and at some point you raided a museum to steal something valuable - cards, I think. But it didn't go quite right, because you didn't get everything you wanted. Someone stopped you, a close relative, possibly your sister, and-"

"Okay okay, you can stop now," Malik cut in. He could feel his cheeks turning slightly red.

"That's a really powerful instrument," Yami said in some surprise. The alethiometer seemed to have focused his attention back on Lyra, and he had stopped fiddling with the Puzzle. "How does it actually work?"

"Um…it's powered by something called Dust, I think. I don't really know. That's another reason why I want to go to the World of the Dead – so I can ask Will's father about it. He was a shaman."

"How do you actually plan to get to the World of the Dead?" Yugi questioned. "Apart from dying, obviously."

"Lyra's alethiometer just says to follow the knife," Will confessed.

The Puzzle-holder nodded slowly, digesting all of this information carefully. "Then lets do this."

Will nodded, and reached up into the air with the knife. He paused, evidently searching for something, then cut very slowly along. The air felt strangely thick and heavy, as if it were resisting the knife.

The window he had cut opened into a world that looked like it had been taken from a black and white film. Everything was different shades of grey, and there was no colour at all. Will tried to step though the window and found it difficult, feeling like he was pushing against something invisible. Then, with a sudden tug, he was through.

"You okay?" Lyra asked.

Will nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's hard to get through, though."

Malik was next. He found it even harder, and eventually Will had to pull him through. Yami tried, and found that he couldn't get through at all. It was like there was an invisible force field. He couldn't make any headway at all, which he found exceedingly frustrating. Yugi stepped through easily, so Yami simply went into the Puzzle and then reappeared next to him. Bakura had an inkling of what was going on, so he handed control to his hikari (with plenty of threats of what would happen if Ryou did anything other than what Bakura told him) and let him go through. It was still slightly difficult, but he managed. Lyra had to hold Pan in her arms as she was pushed and pulled through.

Will uttered a gasp of surprise as he looked down at his hands, which had turned a pale grey. Something in this world had leeched the colour from them all, turning everything fuzzy shades of grey. The only bit of colour around them came from Pantalaimon, who was a bright green dragonfly, and from the Ring and Puzzle. Everyone turned to survey their surroundings carefully, but there really wasn't anything to look at. They started walking.

Several hours later, everyone had almost fallen into a stupor. Bakura was so bored he let Ryou take over, and sat listlessly in his soul room. His host was moving his feet automatically, wanting something, anything, to happen. Their surroundings hadn't changed in the slightest – grey rotting trees and a few deserted houses. Occasionally they saw dark figures standing around talking quietly, but no one really wanted to go up to them. Despite the many miles that they must have walked, they didn't seem to have actually _gone_ anywhere at all.

Eventually Malik said, "Haven't we passed that tree already?"

Everyone turned to look without interest. Will shrugged. "Who knows? Everything here looks the same."

Malik took of the bottom of the Millennium Rod, exposing the dagger hidden inside, and made a criss-cross marking in the trunk.

They walked a few more paces, then Yami let out an exclamation and pointed to the tree in front of them. It had a large X on it. "We've been walking in circles!" he announced.

"It can't be!" Lyra protested. "We-we've only walked a few steps!"

"It's almost like this world is repeating itself," Ryou said thoughtfully. He traced a pattern in the dusty ground with the toe of his trainer, and when he walked forward there was an identical pattern in front of him.

Bakura split off in exasperation. "For Ra's sake, why doesn't anyone ask these people we keep seeing? I'm sure they know what's going on."

"Why don't YOU ask them?" Yami snapped.

"Fine! I will!" Bakura marched up to a group of grey people who were huddled together. They drew back slightly as he approached, and one or two exchanged doubtful glances. The spirit ignored this. "You know how to get to the World of the Dead, don't you?"

The 'people' nodded silently.

The Tomb Robber turned and gave Yami a triumphant look. "Ha! In your face, Pharaoh!"

Yami looked away disdainfully. "Whatever."

The others came up and stood next to the Ring-spirit. "Please would you be kind enough to tell us how?" Yugi was as polite as ever, and this seemed to please the mysterious figures.

One broke away from the huddle, and they saw that it was wearing dull, shabby clothes and was as non-descriptive as it was possible to be. "We are Deaths," it said quietly. "Every person ever born has a Death, but few see them until they are about to die. If you want to go to the World of the Dead, you must all call upon your own Deaths to show you the way."

The group looked at each other nervously, and Malik raised an eyebrow. "Ooookay…"

Will gave him a look, before stepping forward reluctantly. "Very well."

As he spoke, the door for one of the houses opened and more Deaths glided out. There were five of them, and they were similar to the ones the group had already met - plain and unremarkable. They silently approached the teenagers and stood next to them.

Yugi looked at his Death doubtfully. "Are you really my Death?"

The Death inclined its head. "Yes. I have been with you every moment of your life, although you never saw me. A Death is the person who knows you better than yourself – your special and devoted friend."

****

"What?!" Yami exploded.

Yugi looked at his Death desperately. "But-but my yami is my special and devoted friend! I don't want another one!"

Yami put his arm around Yugi in both a loving and jealous gesture. "Don't you come anywhere near my aibou!"

Bakura laughed mockingly. _"My yami is my special and devoted friend!" _he mimicked."That's so sweet, Pharaoh."

Yami glared at him. "Shut up, Thief. Don't make me hurt you."

"I'm so scared," Bakura sneered. "Anyway, I know my special and devoted friend will protect me." He looked at Ryou, who backed away nervously.

"Can we go to the World of the Dead now?" Will interrupted loudly, not wishing to witness another fight. His Death nodded, and started moving forwards. Everyone followed him uncertainly.

They had barely started walking when there was a flash, and they were standing in front of a massive lake. It was a murky non-colour, and the slopping of the sludgy water echoed loudly around the cavern. The ground was the sickly khaki colour of a bogey.

Ryou's Death looked at him. "Once you cross the lake, you will arrive in the World of the Dead." It hesitated. "I must leave you now." All the Deaths disappeared, and Yami relaxed slightly.

By the edge of the lake was a small boat, with a solitary person sitting in it. He looked up at them, and they saw that he was aged beyond belief, his hands permanently bent over a pair of rotting oars. He moved to one side to make room.

"Are…are you going to take us to the World of the Dead?" Ryou asked apprehensively.

The boatman sighed, turning his ancient eyes towards him, and Ryou saw a fierce pity in them. "Why are you here? You are not dead." The white-haired hikari didn't say anything, unsure how to reply.

"We still want to go," Will said firmly.

"All of you?"

"Yes."

The boatman shook his head slowly from side to side. "I cannot take you all." He raised a decaying arm and pointed at Pantalaimon, Yami and Bakura. "They must stay behind."

"WHAT?!" Yugi demanded. "I'm not leaving my aibou here!"

"Then you cannot come."

Pantalaimon whimpered in Lyra's arms. She whispered, "But I can't leave my dæmon behind!" I'd die!"

"Isn't that what you want?"

There was a horrified silence as the full impact of what was happening sank in. The boatman added, "If you decide to leave them behind, the dæmon must stay on the bank and the yamis must take off their Items."

Malik protested. "This is ridiculous! Why can't they come?"

The boatman indicated Bakura and Yami. "They are already dead. I cannot take spirits such as them. Also, there is no way for dæmons to travel to the World of the Dead. No souls are allowed to come."

His eyes flickered to the Millennium Rod, which Malik was holding in one hand. "I sense that you have a yami who does not live in your Item. You must leave that Item behind, and he will be forced into it."

Malik had absolutely no problem with leaving his yami behind, but knew Yugi and perhaps Ryou would. The Egyptian didn't like his yami at all, but was rather fond of the Rod, so he asked, "How do we get them back? Can we return this way?"

"I have taken unaccountable billions to the World of the Dead, and none ever came back." He paused. "I have seen that your friends will be coming. You had better go and comfort them."

Malik scowled, and took out the Rod with the intention of making him let the yamis come, but the boatman read his intentions in his eyes and shook his head. "That won't work, I assure you. Do you think everyone I take to the World of the Dead comes willingly?"

The Egyptain glared at him and walked over to Will. "So, are we still doing this?"

Will shrugged helplessly. "I want to, and I know Lyra does. But I don't know if she's actually going to leave Pan behind. I mean, they've been together their entire lives."

The two boys stood awkwardly to one side as their friends struggled with the impossible decision that lay before them.

Yugi and Yami were hugging tightly, as if they never wanted to let go. Yugi was crying silently. Yami was beyond crying as he clung to his other half. "Don't leave me aibou…" he whispered. "Please."

"I have to," Yugi murmured wretchedly. "It's something we have to do. Yami, I'll find you again, I promise…" His voice trailed off into nothingness as he hugged his yami even tighter, and then suddenly broke off. "Could you –"

"Please don't do this to me." Yami looked at his aibou pleadingly. "Anything but this…"

Malik and Will were _really_ starting to feel awkward now, but not half as awkward as Ryou and Bakura. They simply stood apart, staring at each other strangely. Ryou had never liked the way Bakura had treated him, but some part of him didn't want to leave his yami.

"Please just say something," he begged suddenly.

Bakura continued to stare at him in silence. Eventually he snapped, "Well, what do you want me to say? You'd just better come back for me." His words were angrier then his tone of voice, which was almost…upset?

"Yami, you know I will."

Yami turned to Bakura, and his face was pale. "What will happen to us if we take off our Items?" he whispered haltingly.

The Tomb Robber shrugged. "Oblivion, I guess."

Yami gave his light one last hug. "Yugi…I know you're going to find me again. I trust you."

Yugi pressed himself further against his yami, unable to speak. "I'll miss you aibou."

"Shall…shall we do this now?" Lyra asked, her voice cracking. She was clutching her beloved dæmon so hard that he whimpered. They all nodded. Lyra gently disentangled Pan's cat claws from her jumper, and set him down carefully on the bank. "I'll come back for you Pan, honest."

Yami looked into Yugi's eyes for the last time, crimson meeting amethyst. "Goodbye aibou." He slowly reached up and took off the Puzzle. His body vanished, and the Puzzle fell to the ground. Yugi didn't take his eyes off it. "I-I can still feel him. A little."

The boatman nodded. "When you get into the boat, your mental link with him will be severed and his soul room will disappear from your mind-"

****

"Shut up!" Yugi screamed.

There was a slightly surprised silence then Bakura said, "Well, I guess this is it. Have a nice time in the World of the Dead, hikari."

"Goodbye yami," Ryou replied softly.

"Try not to get killed or anything while I'm gone," his dark half said loftily, and Ryou sighed, knowing that was about as close to a 'goodbye' as he was going to get. Bakura reached up and took the Ring off. The spikes jangled, as if saying their own farewell. The Ring fell to the ground, next to the Puzzle.

Malik took out the Rod slowly with the intention of dropping it next to the other two Items, but hesitated when a cold voice cut through his head. ((Weakling, you even try and leave me here in this shit-hole and I'll kill you. And it will be slow, believe me.))

(…Okay.) Malik made as if to put the Rod back in his pocket, but suddenly threw it to the ground.

__

((Traitor…))

The hikari shuddered slightly.

Ryou climber into the boat with everyone else, and gasped as he felt the last remnants of Bakura wrenched from his mind. With his yami gone he was only half a soul really, and it was a strangely lonely feeling. He noticed that Yugi was still crying and put an arm around him gently.

"Just a little longer," the boatman murmured, without taking his eyes off the lake.

It felt like the longest journey Ryou had ever made. He kept thinking the Ring was still around his neck and there was a fresh pang every time his fingers reached up of their own accord, only to close on thin air. He felt giddy and slightly light-headed without the Ring on, but there was also a comfortable warm feeling in his chest. Ryou had never realised before just how cold the Ring was, until it was taken off. He didn't know why he was missing Bakura so much, especially after how he had treated him, but he was so used to his yami's presence that it felt wrong without him.

Engrossed in his own thoughts, Ryou didn't feel the boat stop, and he only realised when everyone else had got out and were standing there waiting for him. "S-sorry." Blushing slightly, he climbed carefully out, and Malik out a hand to help him. Ryou took it gratefully.

There was a large wooden door in front of them, wide and tall enough to admit several people at once. It had intricate designs carved around the frame, depicting stories of people before them. Several languages were represented, all of them ancient, including Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Egyptian hieroglyphs. _My yami would be able to read some of that,_ Ryou thought. _Or maybe even-_ He tapped Malik lightly on the shoulder. "Do you know what that says?"

The Egyptian glanced at the symbols. "Hieroglyphs? Of course." He scanned the writing rapidly, and his violet eyes widened.

"What? What does it say?" Ryou asked impatiently.

"Hang on, hang on. Let me read it again." By now everyone's attention was centred on Malik as he reread the inscription upon the door. Then he turned, and his face was a mixture of awe, shock and frustration.

"What does it say?" Ryou repeated.

"It-it mentions us. This is kinda scary. It describes all of our adventures so far, and how everyone acted and felt and everything. It also says that we were _meant_ to come here, for a purpose. We have something to accomplish in this place and we can't leave until we've done it. Also, it gives a clue here, but I'm not quite sure how to say it in English." Malik peered at the text, frowning slightly, and muttered various Arabic phrases under his breath.

"Say it in Japanese," Yugi suggested.

"I'll try…" Malik thought hard and then spoke some Japanese words slowly and carefully. "I think that's what it is."

"Death is going to die?" Ryou translated. "Uh, isn't that a contradiction in itself?"

"Well, that's what it says here, anyway. Also, there's a load of runic symbols that I can't read either. Anyone here read runes?" Malik asked hopefully.

To his surprise, Ryou nodded. "Hai, boku. I've always been into occult based stuff. What do they look like?"

"Here, look." The Egyptian pointed carefully to the inscriptions upon the door.

Ryou walked up and ran his hands over them carefully. He murmured the names quietly to himself, then raised his voice so everyone could hear. "This one's called Raido…it means journey. (A/N: Raido looks a bit like a capital R) And this is Gebo, meaning a gift…" (Gebo looks like a X) He paused and frowned. "A gift? That can't be right. Um…"

"A gift?" Yugi repeated blankly.

"Yeah…wait! I get it! Gebo can also mean an offering or sacrifice. Like-like when we had to leave part of our souls behind…" More hesitation. "A-anyway, this one here is called Dagaz, and it symbolises the light of the Gods, or sometimes just light-" He stopped again. "That's us! Cos we're lights, aren't we? Or omotes, or hikaris, or however you want to put it. (Dagaz looks a 'lil bit like this: // ) And the last one is Nauthiz. It has several meanings, but they're all quite similar: trouble, misery, unhappiness…Um, are there any more?"

"Na'am. (Arabic: yes) Here, and here." The Egyptian pointed. "Apparently they're telling us about the future, and what's supposed to happen next."

"This one is called Hagalaz ( _H _) and it means destructive forces, like thunder, but also battles. This one is actually a rune as well, even though it just looks like an empty space. The Rune of No Meaning. But…uh…it does have a meaning." _That sounded stupid now, didn't it?_ "It's saying there will be a period of uncertainty, and anything could happen. And the last one…Wunjo. That's a good rune. It symbolises happiness, bliss, and triumph. Hmmm. Now how do we open this door?"

"I could use the knife," Will offered. "We could cut our way through."

"H-hang on! Give me a moment." Ryou scanned the door quickly. He knew what he was looking for: a rune called Kano, or Kaunaz. One of its lesser-known meanings was opening or unlocking. (It looks like this: )

"What are you looking for?" Yugi asked.

Ryou explained, and the Puzzle holder saw it almost immediately. "Here!" He pointed at the rune, and as he touched it the door swung open.

………….

They stepped through, and found themselves in a massive colourless space, a long flat grey plain that went on and on for miles. There were also billions and billions of ghosts. Faint, translucent figures occupying every square inch of the ground; mostly standing, but a few were sitting down or resting. No one was laughing or playing, and there was a general air of gloominess and misery over them all.

When the group appeared among them the ghosts immediately came crowding round, whispering excitedly in their thin, soft voices. Ryou edged back nervously and, expecting more resistance than he met, toppled _through_ the mass of ghosts and nearly fell over. "Everyone that's ever died…they come _here?"_

"I guess." Will was staring around him, mesmerised. "I wonder which one is my father?"

Yugi looked around with slightly widened eyes. The sheer amount of ghosts pressing around them was overwhelming. "If you're looking for a specific person it might take you a while," he commented quietly.

Will obviously wasn't listening. "Uh huh. Meet you back here in an hour." He instantly dashed off into the bulk of ghosts, calling his father's name. Ryou was under the impression that Will had become slightly mad, and he sat down on the ground carefully. There were just so many ghosts – it was almost impossible to accept that they had all once been alive. Yugi plopped down next to him.

"Anyone here you want to look for?"

"Not really. I can't really remember what my mother looked like, and my sister Armane would probably be too young to remember me."

Malik came over. "Lyra's gone to look for her friend Roger."

"Don't you want to talk to your father?" Yugi asked cautiously.

The Egyptian pulled a face. "Laa. (Arabic: no) My yami killed him, remember? And my father was drunk at the time. He probably thought it was me. Yeah, a splendid reunion _that_ would be. He probably thinks I'm crazy."

"Poor you," Yugi said in sympathy.

"Mmm. Has anyone got any ideas what we have to do for this task so we can get out of here?"

"Iie." Yugi traced the outline of the Millennium Puzzle idly in the dust.

…………..

Considerably more than an hour later, Will and Lyra came running up, closely followed by two ghosts. "I found my father!" Will exclaimed triumphantly. He stepped aside to reveal a ghost only slightly taller than himself, but with the same black hair and jutting jaw.

"And **I** think I know what we have to do to get out of here! Oh, and by the way, this is Roger." A bemused ghost of about Lyra's age stood there with an embarrassed grin on his pale face.

The blonde girl lowered her voice. "I think that what we have to do is cut a window out of this world and free all the ghosts!"

She looked at Ryou, Malik and Yugi for their opinions. The Egyptian nodded approvingly. "It makes sense."

Will's father, John Parry, began to speak. His voice was tense with urgency. "Listen to me. There isn't much time. If you want to free the ghosts you will have to do it quickly. Will, you must cut a big window in the air so they can escape. Then, feel in the air and cut another window, as massive as you can. It must be big, because as soon as you cut it the window will begin to shrink. Inside you will see your dæmons and-"

"I will have a dæmon?" Will interrupted in amazement.

"Yes, yes, but to continue, inside you will see your dæmons and the Millennium Items. Your three other friends should go first, and then you and Lyra. Once you have grabbed the souls you will each be flung into random worlds. You must all stay where you are so Will can cut through with the subtle knife and find you." He added thoughtfully, "They will not be hard to find…try nearby worlds first."

He looked at the group. "Are you ready?"

"Wait!" Yugi cried. "How do we get home?"

John Parry looked at him evenly. "You must find that out for yourselves."

Everything was happening so fast, and Ryou's mind was spinning as he tried to keep up.

"Ryou? Did you get all of that?" Malik waved a dark hand vigorously in front of his face.

The white-haired teen blinked. "Um…yeah."

"Excellent, because I didn't. Something about getting the Items back, I think. Come on." He pulled the hikari upright.

Will glared at them. "Hello? We happen to have a time schedule here. Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"No," Malik answered cheerfully. As he didn't have his yami to worry about, he was in a very good mood.

"Well, for those of you who _weren't listening,_ the plan is this: I'm going to cut a window and free all the ghosts, fulfilling the instructions on the door (we hope). Then I'm going to cut another window that you three have to go through very quickly and grab your Items. You will get sent into random worlds, and have to wait there until I find you. Okay?" Will was clearly on the verge of shouting, and everyone nodded meekly. "All right then."

Will cut a large window in the air that led to the outside world. He then explained very slowly and clearly to the ghosts what was happening. For a few moments there was a peculiar swooshing sound as all the ghosts cried out in happiness. The noise sounded like wind blowing through branches in a stormy night.

As the masses of ghosts poured through the window, Will watched them go with a strange sense of achievement. His father and Lyra's friend Roger were among the last to go. There was a final farewell, and then they were gone. The group was alone again. Truly alone.

"Aren't you going to close the window now?" Yugi asked.

Will shook his head. "I've got to leave it open for all the people that are going to die."

"What will happen to the ghosts when they go outside?

"Lyra asked the alethiometer earlier. All their particles will dissolve, and they'll disappear into the air, becoming part of everything."

He reached up wearily with the knife, attempting to open the world which would reunite them with their souls. But after a few moments he looked at the knife, sighed, and stopped.

"Problem?" enquired Lyra.

"Um…yeah. I hate to say this, but I'm too tired to try and look for this new world. I simply can't summon the energy. G-guess it'll have to wait a bit." He sat down miserably. "I'm really sorry everyone. I tried."

After a minute, Malik leaned over and shook his shoulder. "Can I try?"

Will blinked. "W-what?"

The Egyptian put on his talking-to-idiots voice. "Can I try and use the knife to cut through?"

"…It wouldn't work. The knife only works for me."

The corner of Malik's mouth curved upwards in a slight smile. "Just let me have one go. No harm done if I fail, right?"

The black-haired teen sighed, then reluctantly held out the subtle knife, handle-first. Malik took it carefully. He was determined for this to work as well as it had done before.

Remembering to let his soul flow out to the very tip of the knife, treating the weapon as if it were a part of him, he felt carefully in the air. At once he sensed the little ripples of thousands of different worlds, just a cut away. But one caught his attention more than the others did. When he touched it, he could almost hear a faint voice calling to him. Making his decision swiftly, he cut along and down, as far as he could, making the window several metres wide.

As soon as he stepped back the window began shrinking, not very quickly, but steadily. Malik gave the knife back to its rightful owner, trying unsuccessfully to keep the smugness from his voice. "That wasn't so hard."

Will gaped at him, his face a picture of comical surprise. "How did you…?"

A shrug. "I don't really know. Come on, you two." The Egyptian stepped elegantly through the window, closely followed by Yugi and Ryou.

…………

Immediately they found themselves surrounded by an unnatural whiteness, as if trapped in an unused colouring-book. Their eyes were drawn to the low wooden table just ahead, the only thing which wasn't white. Beside him, Yugi felt Ryou's pace increase slightly. In an unusual moment of understanding, he wondered if the boy just wanted the Ring back as soon as possible, because Bakura would punish him further the longer it was taken off. The table was nearer than it appeared, or else they were walking much further than they thought, because one moment they were several metres away and the next they were standing right in front of it. Yugi took one look at the objects on the table, and cursed, a thing that rarely happened.

The three Items lay in front of them, just a hand-span away. Each emitted a fierce white light. Unfortunately, the light was so blinding it was almost impossible to look at the Items directly, let alone tell which was which.

"What do we do now?" There was a distinct undercurrent of worry in Ryou's voice. They were all fully aware that while they dawdled the window grew ever smaller, making it harder and harder for Lyra and Will to get through.

"Pray to Ra that we choose the right ones?" Malik suggested. It seemed like a good enough idea to him. "Or just close our eyes and guess?"

Three pairs of eyes met, and they all shrugged. "Pick an Item, any Item," Ryou muttered.

Three hands reached slowly forward.


	12. Mixed up souls

A/N: I really wanted to try out the three omotes with different yamis, and here is the result. It should have been pretty simple, actually. They open their eyes, see that they chose the wrong Item, and so just hold on to it while the others arrive. But do they do that? sighs Nope. Oh well, curiosity killed the hikari. Heh heh.

The stuff Bakura says about the Ring's history in Ancient Egypt IS correct, by the way. I found it on the Internet. Can't remember what site, unfortunately, but it was a good one.

Also, the stuff with the runes in the last chapter was perfectly true. I'm quite interested in runes, and I've been learning all the meanings and everything. Runes aren't mentioned in the book, but I felt like putting them in, so I did.

I've been working pretty hard on this chapter, which is why it has been a few weeks between updates. I'm pretty pleased with the result, even if I did rewrite it six times.

I had to change all my yami/hikari speech methods, as ff.net seems to have abolished the double slash marks and triple asterisks which I've been so fond of using. That's why I had to change all of my other fics as well, because they got so messed up. So slashes have been replaced with brackets, and asterisks with loads of full stops.

Please review! I know I don't give individual thanks to everyone anymore, but I still know the names of every person who has reviewed any of my fics. And I love you all. Just not in that way.

Warnings: plenty of bad language, violence.

Baka: bastard

Zoko: small fry

Chapter Twelve: Mixed-up souls

Malik found himself standing on a grassy slope. The sun was just starting to set, and he gazed at it for a moment before looking around to see where his Item had gone. A faint glow further down caught his eye, and he went down to investigate. "Wow! I got the Ring!" Picking it up carefully, he marvelled at how heavy it was. _I'm surprised Ryou doesn't get neck-ache having to wear this thing all the time. Hey, what happens if I put it on? _Even though it wasn't really his Item, he had still picked it, and he was secretly burning with curiosity as to what would happen. Shrugging, he slipped the cord around his neck and waited.

His first thought was, _Oh my Ra, it's **freezing.**_ It felt as if he had put on a wet jumper that was a bit too small, and could actually feel the iciness spreading through his body. Malik shivered, the Ring a dead weight around his neck. He didn't like being cold at all. In Egypt it had always been boiling hot, and he had found Japan absolutely glacial by comparison. But Japan was nothing compared to this.

(B-Bakura?) he whispered nervously. There was no reply. He wondered if the spirit was still asleep. Feeling suddenly dizzy, he wondered if he should sit down. _Ra, I'm really tired. Maybe I'll go to sleep._

What the hell? The more sensible part of him thought. _I felt fine a few moments ago. What's going on?_

Acting on an impulse, he looked down, and let out an Arabic scream of horror.

The Ring's dangling prongs were moving, burying themselves into his chest and glowing brightly. There was an awful sucking sensation, and Malik felt suddenly light-headed. Suppressing the urge to panic, he tugged at the points, which squirmed beneath his fingers and burrowed even deeper.

****

(BAKURA!!!)

...........

The spirit awoke in his soul room to hear a faint voice calling his name. He frowned, realising it wasn't his normal hikari. ((Who is this?)) He extended himself into the mind of his host, trying to take control. Recognition hit. ((_M-Malik?_ Why the hell are _you_ wearing the Ring?))

(Help me!) his friend yelled. Now that Bakura had taken over, Malik couldn't even try and pull the Ring away, and he was nearly hysterical with fear.

Not quite sure what was actually happening, Bakura split off, releasing control of Malik's mind as he did so. The sight that greeted him caused him to raise an eyebrow in astonishment.

As he split off, instead of the Ring disappearing from the neck of it's host and reappearing around Bakura's, it stayed on Malik's chest. A shadowy, ghost-like image of the Item formed around Bakura's neck. He looked down at it slowly. ((Interesting.))

(Hello?!) the Egyptian yelled. (Can you please help me out here?)

((Take it off,)) the spirit suggested matter-of-factly.

(I can't!) Malik's pull on the Ring was becoming weaker. (W-what's it trying to do?)

((It's flushing out your soul,)) Bakura said thoughtfully. ((Or sucking out your life force, however you want to put it. Speaking of which, did you know that in ancient Egypt if a thief tried to steal the Ring, he'd be forced to try and wear it? The whole point being that only one person is worthy to wear the Ring. Then the spikes of the Ring plunged into him and the man would be incinerated from the inside out.))

This was not what Malik wanted to hear. (So in other words, it's killing me?)

((Yeah, I guess so.))

(Well you could act like you cared! Make it stop!)

((I don't know if you can make it stop.))

With a sudden yank, Malik managed to haul the tines out of his chest. (Ow!) There was no blood, but it hurt like hell. Worse still, he could still clearly feel his soul being ruthlessly absorbed by the Item. With an effort, he held it away from his shirt, the spikes quivering and straining to reach their host. Struggling against the Ring, he still couldn't stop his soul steadily draining away. (For Ra's sake, are you going to help me? Or are you just going to stand there and watch?)

Bakura seemed to snap out of his trance. ((O-okay. Sorry. Um, try and stop fighting it. I think it'll work faster if you struggle. It's getting excited.))

Malik's eyes were wide in terror, and his breathing was coming out in heavy gasps. (What kind of Item is this? It's like it has a mind of it's own!) It was almost impossible for him to heed the yami's advice. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to fight it.

Bakura was starting to realise that if he didn't act soon he might risk permanently losing his friend, and this thought made him slightly worried. ((Hang on a moment.))

Thinking carefully, he erected a powerful mental barrier around Malik's mind, attempting to protect it from even more damage. Then, after thinking some more, he reached out and took control of the Ring. Bakura could manipulate his Item to a certain degree, but sometimes it ended up being the other way round. With an effort he pushed it away, forcing it to release the soul it ensnared. ((That better?))

The Tomb-Keeper let out a weak gasp of relief as the Ring-points went suddenly limp. (Y-yeah.) The Item vanished, and then appeared a moment later around Bakura's neck. Slightly unsettled, he looked down at it, but the Ring didn't move. He lifted up one of the tines cautiously, and examined it. ((Hmm.)) Releasing it, he let the spike drop back down to its natural position, where it tinkled as it came into contact with its neighbour. Malik gave an involuntary shudder at the sound.

Bakura shrugged to himself, and met the hikari's eyes. ((Do you think I should keep the barrier up? I think the Ring might have stopped now.))

Malik silently disagreed, but didn't say anything. With another shrug, Bakura let down the mental shield cautiously. Malik cried out in pain as icy waves of agony engulfed him. The spirit hastily brought the barrier back up, looking apologetic.

((Sorry about that. You okay now?)) He looked at "his" hikari in some concern.

Malik nodded dumbly, not trusting himself to speak. After a moment he whispered, "Is it always so cold?" The pain was mostly gone now, but the cold was still there, and he could feel it eating through his body. He shivered again.

((The Ring? Yes, I think so. My proper yadonushi is probably used to it by now. I think the reason the Ring was so aggressive was because you weren't the one destined to have it. Although it really seemed to hate you. Anyway, where is my yadonushi? And how did you end up with the Ring? Somehow I don't think my host would just give it to you. Although I'll kill him if he did.))

(N-no, he didn't.) Malik explained everything haltingly, while Bakura listened in silence.

Finally he said, ((So I'm your yami for now?))

(Yeah.)

((Great.)) Bakura grinned evilly. ((Just think of all the things we could achieve with the two of us in one body. We could go after the Items and the God Cards together. The Pharaoh would have a migraine just trying to figure out who he was talking to.))

(I guess.) Malik was too tired to think about things like that. The aftershock of what had happened when he put on the Ring was beginning to sink in, and he sat down on shakily on the damp dewy grass. (We have to stay here until Will finds us though, so I don't think we can exactly go out and try to conquer the world today.)

((Oh well.)) Bakura sounded genuinely disappointed. Then a grin lit up his face. ((I've always wanted to try being in a different body for a change.)) He went back into the hikari's mind and took control easily. Annoyed, Malik tried to push him back but couldn't.

((Are you trying to fight me, my temporary host? I really wouldn't bother.))

Malik's emotions now consisted of frustration and anger, mingled with a slight fear. This was a side of Bakura that he had never seen before, and he didn't like it. (Stop talking to me like that. We're equals.)

The yami gave a lazy yawn, fiddling with the tines of the Ring. ((Keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better. Yamis will always be stronger than their hikaris. All lights are weak really.))

(Don't call me weak. That's what my yami always says to me. I don't like it.)

((Did I offend you? I'm _so_ sorry.))

(Why are you acting like this?) Malik demanded angrily. (Treating me like I've suddenly become inferior, just because I happen to be wearing the Ring and you can control my body? Hell, we've always been allies, friends even, and now you're acting like I'm just a good little vessel for all the things **you** want to do.)

Bakura was unmoved by Malik's outburst. ((I always act this way with Ryou. You never minded.))

Reluctantly, the hikari admitted to himself that the spirit had a point.

Bakura heard this thought and smirked. ((So, what are we going to do now? I'm bored.)) Idly, he started looking through Malik's memories. ((Hmmm, I wonder if there's anything interesting here…))

(Stop it!)

Ignoring his host's anger, the spirit continued his search. ((What's this one?)) A particular memory kept evading his grasp, and it was obvious Malik didn't want it opened. Bakura chased after it, but it kept hiding, not wanting to open up. He could tell it was often near the surface of Malik's thoughts, and this made him smile. ((Is it an embarrassing one? I hope so. Ryou has so many embarrassing memories. It's so fun to tease him about them.))

(Leave me alone! You touch that and I'll kill you!) There was panic in the Egyptian's tone.

The Ring-spirit found this amusing. ((And how do you plan to do that?)) He lunged forward and grabbed the elusive memory with his mind. It wriggled, trying to escape, but he held on grimly. ((Got it.)) He prised it slowly open, and started watching.

Flashback

Gripped ruthlessly by the two Egyptian guards, Malik was half-dragged down the stairs. He fought them, screaming out his terror, but they ignored him. It was all in a day's work. He was thrown on to the table and tied down, thick ropes knotted around his arms and legs. The knives were coming out from under the cloaks, and soon the cutting would begin. The Pharaoh's memory would soon be safe, carved onto the back of a twelve year old boy. More people appearing, including his father. Fire around the room…The first blade entered and he was nearly crying now, sobbing out his pain and helpless rage. He wanted to black out but his mind was stubbornly aware, and every fresh cut entering his pain-soaked consciousness just made him more aware of exactly what was happening –

**__**

(You fucking bastard!)

Bakura mentally jumped. Malik was screaming again, but in pure anger this time. (I bet you found that entertaining. Now get the fuck of my mind. Get out of my body, get out of me. I don't want you anywhere_ near_ me, you hear? YOU BASTARD!)

Shaking, the Tomb Robber separated. He was grabbed by his shirt and lifted off the ground. Malik was panting hard, his rage filling every inch of his body. There was a dangerous look in his eyes not unlike the one his yami had.

Bakura realised, too late, that he had gone too far. He had never seen Malik's temper fully unleashed before, and tried to apologise. "L-look, I'm r-really s-"

He was thrown to the ground. "Don't you dare try and say you're sorry," the Egyptian hissed. "You have no idea how that felt when they did that to me. You fucking little-" He kicked the spirit, hard, who backed away. "If I had the Millennium Rod with me right now I would kill you. I know you find stuff like that funny, making people relive the worst moments of their life over and over again, but I don't. And don't say anything. You say anything and I will kill you. Although I don't even know why I should bother. You're not even worth my time."

He was shaking from trying to hold himself back. Bakura was making a silent promise to himself that, if he ever got out of this, he would never make Malik angry again._ Okay, I know I went too far, but he's acting like he's crazy. Although what do you expect from someone who has so much anger that their yami was born from it?_

He hesitated. "M-Malik?"

"What the fuck do you want now?"

"I-I'm sorry. Really."

The Egyptian's fingers twitched, as if he would like nothing better than to wrap them around Bakura's throat. "Oh, so you're _sorry_ now, are you?" He was getting even angrier with each passing moment.

"Yes, once I've finished with you, you'll be _very _sorry, I can promise you that."

The Ring-spirit stood there, saying nothing.

Malik took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. It was a good sign. "Just…just give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you."

Bakura thought for a moment. "…It would be very messy."

After a moment, the corner of Malik's mouth curved very slightly upwards. "I suppose." He took another deep breath and then sat down slowly, still keeping his distance from the spirit of the Ring. His temper had burned itself out now, making him feel hollow inside. Glancing up, his gaze met Bakura's, and the spirit recoiled slightly. "Huh, not so arrogant anymore, are we?"

"No," Bakura said in an extremely small voice. He was still looking wary.

Malik laughed softly. "All right, calm down. I'm not going to kill you. At least, not now."

"Jolly nice of you to say so," the spirit mumbled.

"Well, as you've just found out, I can be a very nice person." Malik gave him an Evil Look™ and saw him relax slightly, now that things were returning to a slightly more normal situation.

Bakura gave him an Evil Look™ of his own, making his eyes glow red in the gathering darkness. His hair formed into its infamous devil horns, spiky bangs defying gravity.

The hikari sighed. "How does your hair do that?"

Bakura grinned. "Magic." Smoke unfurled from behind him, just enough to make Malik wonder whether it was actually there or not. The light watched the smoke wisp skywards, towards the large round moon. It was full tonight, a gleaming pearly button.

Lying back on the grassy slope, he could hear Bakura hum something under his breath. He recognised it as an Arabic lullaby, quite a nice one.

(I thought you couldn't remember anything from Egypt?)

((Some things start coming back after a while. Can't think of the name, though.))

Malik shrugged and looked back up at the sky. It was actually quite pretty, he thought, with the stars twinkling like fireflies in the rich velvety mass... _I'm getting quite poetic, aren't I?_

((Only a bit,)) Bakura said sleepily. ((It could be worse. You should hear some of the things my yadonushi thinks.))

(Are you tired?) Malik didn't really need to ask. He could feel the spirit's drowsiness pulling at his mind, affecting him too.

((Yeah. Spirits need lots of sleep.)) With that, his temporary yami curled up into a little ball and fell asleep. Malik felt it happen, a little tug at his mind, almost like a candle being extinguished. Settling down next to the Ring-spirit, he closed his eyes and, after a few minutes, dozed off.

...........

Ryou woke up to find himself in the middle of a beautiful meadow, surrounded by prospering bushes and trees. The atmosphere around him was tranquil and peaceful, but he was in anything but a peaceful mood. He knew that soon he would have to go and retrieve the Item he had touched, and was not looking forward to his yami's reaction at being left on the banks of the World of the Dead. Although he hated the Ring with all his heart and would do anything to be rid of it, the idea of just abandoning his Item simply didn't make sense to Ryou. How could you abandon something like the Ring? He'd lost count of the amount of times he'd thrown it away, buried it, tried to smash it…only to have it return again. And people like Bakura didn't take too kindly to being thrown away. Every attempt had meant another 'lesson,' another chance for his yami to prove the futileness of trying to defy him.

There was also the possibility that he had accidentally chosen the Puzzle or Rod by mistake, which would result in an even worse beating. His other would interpret it as an attempt to choose another yami over himself, another escape attempt. As bad as it would be to have chosen the Ring, it would have been far, far worse to have chosen another Item instead. Although, if he had touched the Rod, maybe Malik's yami would kill him before his own had a chance to get near him.

__

Uh huh, sure, he thought sarcastically._ And maybe my yami'll be pleased to see me…_ Letting out a bitter laugh, he got to his feet with the intention of looking for his Item. Starting to search half-heartedly, with the air of a person walking to the gallows, he thought of all the things his yami would do to him once he put the Ring back on.

All too soon he spotted that familiar golden glow, and hastily picked up the Item, being careful not to look at it. He took a deep breath in a last attempt to calm himself, but it didn't work. _Okay, this is it…_ He glanced down at the Item in his hands. "Oh G-God…"

It was the Puzzle. Ryou stared wildly at it in mounting horror. Of all the yamis in the entire world, he had to pick the one that Bakura hated most… _Actually, I think he hates Yami Malik more. But still…_

What would Yami do to him? He already had Yugi as his hikari and aibou, and somehow Ryou didn't think Yami would like the light of his worst enemy wearing the Puzzle. But what should he do? Maybe…maybe if he put the Puzzle on and tried to reason with him, Yami wouldn't hurt him so much… Ryou was sure that if he didn't put it on soon, the Puzzle might just appear around his neck the way the Ring did, and Yami would be even angrier…

Hesitating, his hands shaking uncontrollably, Ryou slowly lifted the inverted pyramid and hung it around his neck. The chain that acted as a cord rattled slightly, and he shivered.

After a moment, when the spirit of the Puzzle didn't appear and start beating him up, Ryou began to calm down slightly. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all. He knew that Yami wasn't as sadistic as Bakura, because of the way he acted towards Yugi, but the mere fact that he was a yami was enough to make Ryou nervous. Suddenly becoming aware of how tense his body had become, the way it was braced for an imaginary blow, he tried to relax, feeling the shape of the Puzzle warm and somehow comforting against his shaking chest. The Puzzle was a lot lighter than the Ring, and a part of Ryou's mind registered this in slight surprise.

He wondered who had picked the Ring, knowing it had to be either Yugi or Malik. _Oh Kami-sama, I hope that if it's Yugi then my yami doesn't hurt him too much…_That would mean yet another thing for Yami to be angry about, and Ryou had learnt to become very frightened very quickly when Bakura became angry.

(Y-yami no Yugi?) he called nervously. (Are you there?)

From the depths of unconsciousness, Yami heard a quiet voice calling to him. Struggling with the blackness wrapped around him, he tried by sheer force of will to wake up. His soul room door creaked open slightly as he answered. ((Yugi? Is that you?))

A hesitation. (N-no,) the voice said timidly. (I-)

((**WHAT?!?!?!))** Yami jumped up from his soul room floor as if it were covered in burning coals. He had absolutely no idea what was happening, but he had already realised he was no longer in Yugi's body. He was so used to his aibou's presence around him that this piece of news made him extremely worried. And angry.

((Who the hell is this?)) he demanded. ((And where's Yugi?)) He split off from Ryou, and nearly had a heart attack when he realised who was wearing the Puzzle. "…_R-Ryou?_"

Feeling his anger, Ryou backed away, absolutely petrified. _Oh my G-God…_

"Where's Yugi?" the spirit of the Puzzle repeated. His eyes were redder than usual, and the Sennen Eye had appeared on his forehead.

"I…I don't know…" The white-haired hikari whispered. "I'm sorry…please don't hurt me…" Bakura had always liked to hear him beg. It gave him a sense of power - to feel his host's terror, and to know that he had caused it.

Yami's anger was changing to bewilderment. "What?" The Eye flickered away.

Ryou retreated even further, until there were a good three metres between him and the spirit. "J-just don't hurt me…please…" Instinctively he pulled up a mental barrier around his mind, to make sure Yami couldn't read his thoughts.

The Pharaoh felt it go up and stared at him, completely nonplussed. He and Yugi had never seen the need to do things like that. They were always open with each other. "Ryou, why would I want to hurt you?"

Ryou was now firmly convinced that Yami was toying with him. Bakura had never actually given him a clear reason why he had abused him, but had often mentioned things along the lines of "weak" and "only my host," and had always emphasised that it was Ryou's fault that Bakura was doing these things to him. While the hikari couldn't think of an immediate cause to justify Yami wanting to hurt him, (apart from choosing the Puzzle and then wearing it, which he knew in Bakura's eyes was a fatal crime anyway) he wasn't going to stop him from doing it. Long years of abuse had taught him that it was always better to submit immediately, and just wait until his yami got bored, instead of risk causing more anger. With only a few exceptions, he had stuck rigidly to this rule.

Wanting an answer of some sort, Yami raised an eyebrow expectantly, but Ryou stayed silent.

"Dammit, stop moving away from me!" The Puzzle-spirit was getting frustrated. _For Ra's sake, he's looking at me like I'm about to eat him…_

Ryou froze like a panicked rabbit with a shotgun pointed at it's head. "Gomen…"

A sudden thought flashed into Yami's mind, bringing with it understanding. _What did the Tomb Robber do to him?_ He took a step forward, and then another, watching as the hikari started shaking, looking as if he were about to turn and bolt. There were ten steps between them. Nine…Eight…

"Ryou, listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you." Yami made his voice as soft and gentle as he could, but it was obvious from the look on the teenager's face that he didn't believe him for a moment. The spirit wondered how many times the Thief had said those words to him, watching Ryou's face blossom into timid, hopeful relief…and then the next blow coming. _That sadistic baka…_

"Please believe me. I don't want to hurt you." Yami moved slightly, just to see what would happen, and saw the hikari cringe. _How can I prove I'm not going to hurt him if he won't let me anywhere near him?_ Hesitating, he reached out mentally and touched the edge of Ryou's mind, very softly. For the second that he held on for, he instantly sensed all the places where the Tomb Robber had grabbed, hit, pulled…all the invisible mental bruises…then the lighter half pushed him away, edging even further backwards.

This time, Yami didn't attempt to follow him. He simply stood there, patiently waiting, until Ryou's retreat stopped. He could still sense Ryou's overwhelming fear but, beneath that, slight confusion.

"You…aren't you g-going to look through my mind?"

Sudden Flashback

__

((Yadonushi, why should I tell you what I'm going to do? You'll enjoy it more if it's a surprise…))

As Yami heard this, he realised in shock that Ryou _expected_ him to pry through his mind, to hurt him, to make him suffer, and this made him gape at the hikari in open-mouthed incredulity. "Why do you think I would want to do something like that? Your mind is private."

Through the mental barrier Ryou had created floated a single thought: _Not to some people._

Oh Gods, Yami thought to himself._ I'm going to make sure the Tomb-Robber pays for this, even if I spend the rest of my eternal life chasing him. But what the hell am I going to say? He'll deny everything; he always does. Dammit, I need proof…_An idea occurred to him. It went against all his morals and beliefs, but it would work. _But I've just said I wouldn't do it. Although it would help. Huh, keep telling yourself that, just to keep the guilt away. You'll turn into the Thief if you're not careful._

He sighed, then looked up slowly and met Ryou's eyes again, noticing how wide and frightened they were. _That's it: I'm going to do this. I'm going to help him. But first I need to understand…_

Reaching out very gradually, he slowly touched the hikari's mind again, but going in a little more deeply than before, so he couldn't be pushed back. Ryou flinched at the intrusion, and jumped back.

Sighing again, Yami came out of Ryou's mind and looked at him. "You don't have to let me do this. I'm trying to help you, honestly I am, but if you really don't like it I'll stop."

The white-haired teenager's fear was coming off him in waves. "I d-don't mind. D-d-do whatever you want. I c-can't stop you."

Yami frowned. It wasn't exactly the acquiescence he had hoped for – more like the terrified babbling of someone too scared to argue. In a sort of resignation he entered Ryou's mind again, and carried on going on, right to the core. Instantly, he was surrounded by a buzz of thoughts and feelings – some primitive, like feeling hungry or tired, but others more complex, like wondering about the ending of a book he was reading. Some were made up of a few simple words, others contained detailed pictures. He went in a little more deeply, feeling vaguely unsettled at how easy it was. It was obvious Ryou was putting up virtually no resistance, or at least not intentionally – his fear at what Yami was up to showed clearly in every little thought.

After some searching. Yami found his target: Ryou's memories. Approaching cautiously, he found it to be in the form of a picture book, or even a photo album. But instead of still images, little scenes played themselves over and over again, making it dizzying to watch. He came nearer, and felt a tiny bubble of pain rise up from Ryou. It was quickly suppressed, pulled hastily back behind the mental barrier, and the hikari showed no outwards signs of it, but Yami had still felt it.

((I'm hurting you, aren't I? Going in so deep…it hurts you.))

(It's o-okay,) Ryou stammered. (My yami…I mean my other one, not you…he does it all the time…I-I'm used to it…) He tensed as Yami went a bit deeper, more pockets of pain bursting silently around them. Then, realising that Yami was trying to treat him very gently, he relaxed a little. It hurt more if you were tense, or afraid. Suddenly it occurred to him that the spirit might be getting frustrated with the slow progress, and he murmured, (You don't have to be so gradual. If you want to do stuff quicker, then push. Like sort of smashing your way in.)

Yami was immediately filled with doubt. Something about the way Ryou had said it… He hesitated, then pushed more firmly. The hikari's innermost thoughts and emotions were instantly shoved roughly out of his way, and he _felt_ rather than heard a cry of pain erupt silently from somewhere inside. Yami stopped at once, almost too appalled to speak. ((That's the way the Tomb Robber always does it, isn't it?))

(…Yes…)

Ripping down the mental barriers, Yami let his indignation filter through. ((Do you think _I_ get pleasure from doing that? In the same sick way that he does? That…that-)) He simply couldn't think up a word strong enough to sum up all his hatred and anger in.

He felt a thin stream of…amusement? Sadness? Resignation? trickle through from Ryou. (I've felt worse.)

Yami had had enough. ((Right, that's it. As soon as I see the Tomb Robber, I'm going to talk to him about this. Forget talk, actually, I'm going to rip his Ra-damned brains out. If he even has any. If that _sadist_ thinks he can get away with doing crap like that to you, then-))

(No!) yelled the hikari. His voice was shrill with fear. (Don't say anything! Please!)

((But-))

(Please, Yami no Yugi. Please promise me you won't say anything to him.) Ryou was begging now.

((He'll do it again. He'll carry on hurting you, in whatever sick, twisted ways he can come up with. Let me speak to him. I can stop him.))

(No! Don't! You can't stop him! No one can!)

((You want to make a bet on that?))

(Please. Promise me you won't.)

((Ry-)

(Please./

__

My Ra, I'm going to regret this. I know I am. How long can I keep this sort of promise for? I'll end up punching that bloody Thief in the face as soon as I see him. ((Fine. I promise. But I don't like it.))

Ryou ignored the last sentence, and Yami could feel his silent gratefulness. Looking around in shock, he was surprised to realise he was still deep inside Ryou's mind. Memories lay in front of him, almost asking to be opened. He remembered what he had come in here to do, and approached the 'book.'

Opening it carefully, respectfully, he started looking through, observing little flashes of Ryou's life. Going back a bit, he found the ones of the World of the Dead and watched them as if they were films, memories silently unfolding before him. Ryou also watched, without saying a word.

((Did you enjoy visiting the dead?))

Ryou realised with a jolt that he was actually being asked his opinion. (Um… I don't know. It was mostly Will and Lyra's idea. I didn't really do much.)

Yami looked at the memory of Yugi sitting in the boat, crying silently, and felt a twinge. ((My aibou misses me…)) Ryou didn't know what to say. He was almost starting to feel jealous of the bond between Yami and Yugi. The spirit kept looking through, and softened when he saw Ryou put an arm around Yugi in an attempt to comfort him.

Sitting back, feeling slightly better now that he knew what had been going on, and why Ryou had the Puzzle, the Pharaoh turned his mind to the other task he wished to do. He wanted to do it quickly, because he knew it was hurting Ryou more and more the longer he stayed here. Before he could stop it, a sudden feeling leapt from his own mind of exactly how it felt to have your memory poked and pried through, the sheer indignity and helplessness…Yami let out an angry hiss, privately disgusted with himself. Then he pushed the guilt pangs away. He could deal with them later.

Settling his mind down to his task, Yami drew a mental barrier around himself, so Ryou wouldn't be able to watch. Then he opened the book again, searching faster this time, looking for the sort of memory he wanted. When he found one, and it didn't take long, he started to watch it.

It was the one just before Bakura had stolen the knife with Malik. Yami viewed in growing anger how the Ring-spirit had hit Ryou so hard he choked on his own blood. Coughing it up all over the floor. The humiliation, the awful humiliation, of having someone watching. He could feel, as if it were happening to him, the salty nauseating feeling in your mouth, and knowing exactly what it was… When he saw how Malik had reacted, the uninterested shrug, saying "Why should I care?" the way he turned away, black spots began to appear in front of Yami's vision. He was so furious he slammed the book shut, shaking with rage. Coming out of Ryou's mind, very slowly so as not to hurt him, he looked at the hikari standing opposite him. "Ryou, how dare he do something like that to you? **Both** of them. How dare they?"

He received a blank look in reply. "Do what?"

Yami remembered he had deliberately blanked Ryou out, so he wouldn't have to relive the experience. "Just before the Tomb Robber was going to steal the knife. With _Malik."_ The Pharaoh spat out the name in disgust. "I saw what they did to you. How dare they?"

Ryou blinked, and looked down at the ground. "I…my yami didn't do all that much, really. And Malik didn't do anything to actually hurt me."

They had approached a dangerous subject, and Yami knew this. But he didn't care. "Exactly! He. Didn't. Do. Anything." Yami stressed each syllable. "That baka just stood there and watched. Like it was entertainment. Like-"

"Like he didn't care?" Ryou offered gently.

"Don't you hate him? Both of them?"

"I…don't know. Maybe deep inside. But not on the surface."

"That's as good as a yes, Ryou."

"Malik helped me later on," the hikari argued. "He's not as horrible as he seems. He pulled my yami back, and told him to stop. He's not so bad."

"Later on! Not at the beginning! And standing there and watching someone get abused without doing anything is just as bad as doing the abuse!" Yami realised he was almost screaming in his fury, and hastily lowered his voice.

Ryou was looking uncertain. "It's not _abuse,_" he whispered. "That's…different."

"Different? How? For Ra's sake, Ryou, you were coughing up blood. What do you think of stuff like that as?"

"You d-don't understand. The things he does…I deserve them…"

"Bullshit," Yami snapped. "**No one** deserves to have that sort of stuff done to them. Especially not you. I don't know what crap he tells you, but you don't deserve that kind of treatment from him. Any of it."

He took another step forward. Seven… Ryou shivered, but this time didn't back away. It was a small victory. Six… Five… Yami stopped, aware this would have to be done slowly. It was almost as if Ryou had an instinctive fear of yamis. This made a sort of sense, especially when you took into consideration that Ryou's yami was a blood-obsessed, sadistic kleptomaniac, (in Yami's opinion) and Malik's yami was an insane mass-murderer (in everyone's opinion, including his own).

After a few moments, Ryou let down the very last of the mental barriers. Another victory. Yami thought that if he managed to get near enough to Ryou to actually _touch_ him, they might be getting somewhere.

Four…Three… "I just want to talk to you properly, OK? It's a lot easier than yelling at you from the other side of the field."

Ryou gave a shadow of a smile. After a minute's hesitation, Yami covered the last few steps and stood next to him. "There we go. Not so bad, huh?" He noticed that the teenager was still shivering. "You want to sit down? It's just that you're shaking like…I don't know…like a shaky thing."

After a moment, Ryou sat down on the grass. Yami sat next to him.

There was silence for a few seconds, then the hikari blurted out, "You…you're totally different from my yami." There was disbelief in his voice.

"I should hope so too."

Ryou gave him another small smile. "You both have big egos though."

"Nothing wrong with that," the Pharaoh answered amicably. He glanced at Ryou again as he spoke. Despite his brave smile, Ryou was looking very lost and vulnerable in Yami's eyes. "My Ra, you're almost as good at puppy-dog eyes as my aibou is. When he looks at me like that he can make me do anything he wants." He hesitated, than leaned over and gave Ryou a hug. The hikari shifted slightly, then relaxed.

Cuddling him back, Ryou whispered, (Do you know what I wish right now?)

((What?))

(T-that you were my yami all the time.)

The Pharaoh sighed. "We both know I'd never leave Yugi. But if I could ever have two hikaris, I'd choose you."

Ryou hugged him tighter. Trying to lighten the situation a bit, Yami joked, "Well, not like I have much choice. Hell, I'd rather die than have _Malik_ as my hikari. We'd end up killing each other within seconds. Or he'd grab the Puzzle and run off with it. I wouldn't put it past him."

The white-haired teenager laughed quietly.

...........

They sat that way for a while, talking about anything that came into their heads. Eventually, Will cut through and found them. Both looked up at the sudden noise, and Yami instinctively went back into the Puzzle. The hikari's eyes widened slightly when he saw who was standing behind Will and Lyra: Malik, wearing the Ring. Ryou wilted inside at the sight of it.

Yami split off. "Nice to see you all again." His voice was neutral, pleasant. Bakura split off as well, standing next to his temporary hikari.

"Hello Pharaoh." There was a slight sneer on his face. Malik was silent, his face carefully expressionless. His eyes met Ryou's, just for a second, and the white-haired teen stared openly back. Malik's eyebrow raised just a fraction, but he didn't say anything.

Bakura's gaze also moved from Yami to Ryou. "Hey, _yadonushi._ You having fun with the Pharaoh?" His eyes were laughing, and Ryou felt as if they could see right through him.

"I'm fine," he said carefully.

For some reason this made the Tomb Robber smile. It wasn't a very nice smile. "Good."

There was a tense silence, then Will said nervously, "Um, should we go find Yugi now?"

Ryou felt Yami go suddenly cold. ((Oh Ra, he…he picked the Rod…))

(Don't worry,) Ryou said more confidently than he felt. (He'll…be okay. Yami no Malik wouldn't dare hurt him, right?)

...........

Yugi woke up in the middle of a thick group of oak trees, up to his ankles in crackling foliage. Then he looked down at the Millennium Rod on the ground, and all thoughts of his surroundings instantly fled from his mind. "Oh my God…" Picking up the Item with the intention of throwing it into a bush, he raised it high, but his nerve failed him and he dropped it. It was possibly the worst thing he could have done. The Rod fell to the ground with a dull thud and Yami no Malik appeared, rubbing his head.

"Who did that? Hikari, I am going to **kill **you…" He took in his surroundings and blinked. Looking around, he caught sight of Yugi. "Who the hell are you? And where's Malik? I want to kill him. Although if he's run off somewhere than I guess you'll have to do."

It wasn't the best possible beginning in the world.

Yugi edged very slowly backwards, determined not to let his fear show. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "I'm Yugi."

"Never heard of you," the psychotic spirit said dismissively. He looked at him more closely. "You look vaguely familiar but I don't think I've tried to kill you before."

Yugi thought of the Millennium Rod whizzing through the air, and didn't say anything.

"Well, not properly, anyway." Yami Malik thought for a moment. "Wait. I know who you are. The Pharaoh's little pet."

Yugi frowned. "I'm not his pet."

"Whatever." An insane grin formed on the Psycho's face. "Oh, **yes!"** His grin widened. "What a brilliant way to get back at the Pharaoh!"

Yugi didn't like the sound of this. "W-what?" It was slightly disturbing that he couldn't hear the spirit's thoughts. He seemed to act almost completely on impulse, not bothering to think things through. But although he didn't seem to have many thoughts, he definitely had _moods._ Yugi could feel the yami's mind changing from hyperactive to psychotic, and then back to hyper, almost like a game of roulette. There was some paranoia and depression in there somewhere, but at the moment it wasn't near the surface. He wondered if Yami Malik actually realised who was his hikari at the moment. Probably. Although it wouldn't make much difference.

"If I kill you, the Pharaoh will be upset," the Psycho explained slowly. "Also, killing you would make me happy. Therefore I am going to kill you. Any last words?"

The hikari gulped and continued edging backwards. (Can't we just be friends?)

Yami Malik found this hilarious. Giggling madly: "No." Suddenly he stopped giggling and gave Yugi a murderous glare. "You just spoke to me in my head. Only my hikari does that. How did you do that?"

(Um…)

((Unless you've joined the thousands of other little people who live in my head,)) the Psycho concluded. His glares turned back into giggling. ((Not that I care. In fact, it makes things even better. Now I can _feel_ you die as well.))

(Oh Kami-sama,) Yugi mumbled. _And I actually thought he might treat me better if he found out I was his hikari? What was I thinking?_

((Nothing particularly interesting. And soon you won't be able to think anything at all.)) Yami Malik's mind starting running through all the different ways to kill Yugi. ((Hmmm, maybe strangling. I haven't done that for a while.))

__

Keep him talking, Yugi thought wildly. Out loud he said, "W-why do you like killing so much?"

The spirit found this question interesting. So interesting, in fact, that he forgot he was meant to be killing Yugi, at least for the moment. ((It makes me happy. I get a total adrenaline rush when I kill someone. Like when I have too much sugar. It gives me a massive high.)) His face took on a dreamy look. ((Do you have any sugar?))

The hikari shook his head silently.

((Too bad. Now I **am** going to have to kill you.)) Yami Malik glanced carelessly at the Rod, which lay on the ground. "I don't need that," he announced. "I'm going to kill you with my bare hands." He started laughing crazily.

It looked like the talking was at an end. Yugi was looking around desperately for an escape route. He was just about to turn and run, when out of the corner of his eye he saw the tip of a knife-blade moving in the air. A second later Will appeared, holding the subtle knife, and Yugi could see Malik standing next to him. The Egyptian signalled silently to the Rod, then pointed to himself.

Careful not to look at them directly in case he gave them away, Yugi dodged the Psycho and grabbed the Rod from the ground.

Yami Malik's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Weakling, put that down now. You won't be able to use it, and if you hold it for much longer I will hurt you. A lot."

Yugi didn't answer. Instead, he threw the Rod sideways with all his strength, praying his aim was on target. _Why didn't I try harder at P.E?_

Malik caught it with one hand. His yami noticed him, and stopped laughing abruptly. His eyes went almost comically wide when he saw that Malik was wearing the Ring around his neck. Bakura split off, and his expression was not a happy one. While Yami no Malik was normally more than a match for one of them or even two, the stakes looked a lot more even now he didn't have the Rod. As his shadow powers came from the Item, which his hikari was now holding, Yami Malik was, for now, virtually defenceless, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Hello yami," Malik said in a conversational tone.

"So now it takes two of you to defeat me? How pathetic…"

In reply, shadow power from the Millennium Rod hurled towards him, and the spirit promptly avoided it. His expression was murderous. The sheer nerve, for his hikari to try and attack him with his Item…Purple flames exploding around him, he lashed back, and Malik blocked it, barely. Another beam came from the Rod, and this time the blue light of the Ring was wrapped around it in a tight spiral. Knowing he couldn't dodge it, he pulled a shield around himself. The beam from the Rod and the Ring struck it head-on. For a moment the shield shook, pushing the power away, then it shattered into a thousand pieces and the beam hit Yami Malik's body. There was an ear-splitting bang, and he was thrown to the ground.

The spirit's body twitched, then floated away completely as he faded away into his soul room.

After a moment, Bakura also went back into Malik's head. There was a strange expression on his face, almost hopeful.

Malik ran over to Yugi. "I'm really, really sorry. Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Thank Ra." The Egyptian looked extremely relieved. Suddenly he winced and placed a dark hand to his head. "Ow."

It was Yugi's turn to be concerned. "You okay?"

"…Yeah. My Ra, you try having TWO yamis in your head. Especially two that **hate** each other." Malik could feel a migraine coming on.

...........

(A/N: Okay, the speech while in Malik's mind has changed to this:)

((Bakura speech))

(Yami Malik speech)

(Malik speech)

Malik (through Millennium Rod) commands

...........

(Tomb Robber, what the hell are **you** doing in here?)

((Much the same sort of thing as you, I guess.)) Bakura dropped the façade of politeness and threw himself at his enemy. They both fell to the ground, Bakura underneath. Malik only weighed slightly more than Ryou, but Malik's yami was an inch or two taller than him and several kilograms heavier. He was also a lot stronger.

((Damn you Psycho!)) Bakura relaxed, then arched his back, throwing the other spirit off him.

(I'll kill you!) Yami no Malik screamed back. He kicked out sharply, and the Thief clutched his ankle.

((Baka!))

(Zoko!)

Yami Malik chased him around the confines of Malik's mind, screaming insults. Bakura stopped suddenly and tripped him up, causing the psychotic spirit to fall to the ground again. The Tomb Robber jumped on top of him, causing Yami Malik to belt out several Arabic curses.

(Get off me!)

((You're even more pathetic than the Pharaoh.))

To Yami Malik, there was no worse insult. (How dare you!) Goaded beyond endurance, he pulled the Tomb Robber off him and threw him several metres across the floor.

Bakura lay there for several moments before managing to struggle upright. Laughing softly, Yami Malik stood in front of him. (Actually, Tomb Robber, I've changed my mind. I'm not going to destroy you just yet. I'll kill your weak little hikari first.)

The world spinning slightly, the Thief leaned against the wall for support. ((Go ahead. He doesn't mean anything to me.))

(Oh, I think he does. You may not have realised it yet, but you care about him. Remember that I can read all your thoughts.) The Psycho paused, savouring every word. (I'm going to get him one day. And then, Tomb Robber, you are going to have to watch him die. It will be very, very slow.)

A shadow crossed Bakura's face. ((No…)) he whispered.

(Oh **_yes_**.) Yami Malik gave him his best insane smile.

With a wild scream, the Thief leapt on top of him, kicking and punching every part of him he could reach. Yami Malik went down under the sheer volley of blows, but this time he was underneath.

****

STOP IT!!! a voice yelled.

Involuntarily, both spirits looked up. Malik was standing there, clutching the Millennium Rod, and looking absolutely _livid._ (You two are giving me a _headache!) _He struck out mentally, and his yami, already weakened by his fight with the Tomb Robber, was, to his disgust, thrown into his soul room. He got up instantly, beyond seething at being humiliated in front of the Tomb Robber.

((I wanted to do that!)) Bakura began to protest. ((I had him on the floor!))

Malik put up a hand to silence him. (Next time, try and do it a bit more quietly. I hate it when I get migraines.) He pointed with a slightly shaking hand to the Ring-spirit's soul room. (Now get in there. Before I make you.)

Bakura nodded meekly.

...........

"Now that we're all here, do you want to exchange Items?" Yugi asked.

"Okay," Ryou said reluctantly. (Yami no Yugi? Thanks for, um, being so nice and everything.)

((Ryou, it was a privilege being your yami.)) Yami gave him a warm smile.

Ryou took off the Puzzle slowly and handed it to Yugi. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Yugi received his Item eagerly and put it around his neck. "Was he all right? He didn't get too egotistic or anything? He can do that sometimes."

Ryou smiled. "He was great." He turned to Malik. "I…suppose I should have the Ring back."

The Egyptian heard the reluctance in his voice, but didn't comment on it. He himself was only too eager to be rid of the Ring. Wrapping his hands around the cord, he lifted it up slowly. Ra, it was heavy. Like the stupid thing didn't want to leave him. After a few moments he managed to take it off, with a barely audible sigh of relief.

Ryou put it on, and Malik saw his hands were shaking, very slightly.

The white-haired hikari felt the familiar, icy sensation spread over him and shivered, just a little.

Knowing that it would take few minutes for Bakura to wake up again, Malik asked suddenly, "Is it always that cold?"

Ryou shrugged uncertainly. "Yeah. But I don't mind anymore." _It's not the Ring that scares me; it's the thing inside. _"Did anything bad happen when you put it on?" It would explain why Malik was eyeing the Ring so uneasily.

The Rod-holder shuddered. "When I put the Ring on it tried to suck away my soul. It was… _horrible._"

They exchanged looks of sympathy, and Ryou shivered again as he felt his yami wake up. (H-hello yami.)

((So, what have you been up to then?)) Bakura's voice was deceptively friendly. Not bothering to wait for an answer, he started rummaging through his hikari's mind as per usual.

Ryou suddenly remembered in horror all the things Yami had said to him, and waited in dread for the inevitable explosion. It didn't take long.

****

(("WHAT?!?!?!"))

The hikari winced as his yami yelled both out loud and mentally. He watched helplessly from his soul room as Bakura, quivering with anger, marched up to Yami, who immediately separated from Yugi.

"Pharaoh, what the HELL have you been saying to my host?"

The Puzzle spirit adopted his "reasonable" tone, all too aware that if he angered the Tomb Robber, it would be Ryou who suffered. "We…talked for a while. About things. I'm sorry if I upset you." _Oh my Ra, I can't believe I just **apologised**_ _to the Tomb Robber. But if it stops Ryou from getting hurt-_

"I don't want your fucking apologies!" Bakura snapped. "They don't mean anything!"

Yami didn't say a word, but the Eye of Ra had appeared on his forehead, glowing very faintly.

The Ring spirit's voice suddenly turned dangerously calm. "So, my little host _chose _to put the Puzzle on, did he?"

"N-no…"

(Careful aibou,) Yugi warned.

((What should I say?))

(I don't know…)

"I-I made Ryou put it on-" ((Crap.)) Yami had dug himself into a hole, and he knew it. So did Bakura.

"You _made_ him? How can you _make_ him do it if you were inside the Puzzle to begin with?"

"Er…"

"BAKA!" the Thief yelled. "He's **my** host! Not yours! It's up to **me** how I treat him! Not you!"

"Actually-" Yami began.

"Just shut up!" _I'm going to **kill** him…_

(Yami, p-please leave him alone. It was my fault-)

((You'd rather have him as your yami, wouldn't you? WOULDN'T YOU?))

Ryou blinked. Was that _jealousy_ in his yami's voice? (I-)

Pushing him away impatiently, Bakura grabbed Yami by the shirt collar, lifting him off the ground.

(Leave him alone!)

((Are you fighting me?))

Ryou hesitated. Well, he had gone this far. May as well go the whole way. (Yes, I am. Leave him alone. Now.)

Bakura smiled nastily. "Pharaoh, my weak little host is _begging_ me to let you go. Isn't that sweet?" He threw Yami to the ground. The Pharaoh scrambled to his feet, eyes flashing in anger.

(ENOUGH!!!) Ryou hit out with all of his strength, and his yami was torn from control.

((You little…))

His hikari slammed his soul room door shut. (Just shut up.)

Yami blinked uncertainly as Ryou's hair softened from devil horns into softer, less spiky bangs, and his eyes turned back to 'innocent' chocolate brown. "What just-"

"I-I pushed him back…" The hikari whispered in disbelief.

"Go Ryou!" Malik said suddenly. He went slightly red as everyone stared at him. "I mean, what?"


	13. A Change of Heart

(A/N: Much to my pleasure, I've managed to plan out the rest of this ENTIRE fic, so I now have a decent ending. (One thing I can't stand is fics that are really long and, although they may start out well, it becomes obvious after a while that the author really wants to end the fic but has no idea how.) This chapter is pretty angsty, and the next few aren't exactly going to be cheerful either. Before you all start flaming me about what happens in this chapter, I would like to reassure you all that this is NOT a standard abuse and apology fic. I appreciate the fic seems to be heading in that definite direction, but please just bear with me.) Thank you all for the reviews, I really appreciate them. Keep 'em coming!

Warnings: a bit of bad language.

****

Chapter Thirteen: Change of Heart

During their stay at the inn Ryou, Malik and Yugi had purchased various sleeping bags and blankets from a camping shop, and in the evening everyone "set up camp," unrolling their bedding and lighting a fire. It was only five o'clock, but they decided to stop early and rest.

Bakura and Malik had wandered off into the trees together to talk. Will was sitting on his sleeping bag, conversing with his new dæmon. Her name, for some reason, was Kirjava, and the two of them were more than happy just to sit and chat, Kirjava curled up on his knee in her cat shape and purring constantly. Lyra had fallen asleep already; Pantalaimon was coiled around her neck as an ermine – his favourite sleeping form. Yugi and Yami were talking too. Yami was catching up on all the things he'd missed while he had been in the Puzzle, and Ryou sat with them. He would put in the occasional word, but it was clear that his mind was on different things.

Bakura had made no references at all to what had happened yesterday. In fact, he was ignoring Ryou totally, which had the effect of making the hikari even more confused. An abusive or sarcastic yami he was used to and could deal with, but a silent one was just…strange. He wondered if this was another of his yami's psychological manipulations, to try and unnerve him further. If so, it was starting to work.

He jumped up decisively. Dammit, he was going to find his yami and _make_ him talk, no matter what it took.

"That's the spirit," Yami murmured.

The white-haired teen blinked. "What? I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but it's pretty obvious what you're thinking. Go talk to him."

He watched Ryou walk away uncertainly. Yugi gave his yami a jealous look. "You _like_ him, don't you?"

"Don't be silly." The Puzzle-spirit gave him a hug. "My Ra, aibou, you can be so _possessive._ You know I'll never leave you."

Slightly mollified, Yugi hugged him back.

………….

Hearing his yami's familiar angry voice, Ryou hurried closer. When he realised what was happening he stopped, too astonished to speak.

Bakura and Malik were having a **massive** argument. And by massive, I mean they were _screaming_ at each other. This alone was enough to make Ryou's eyes widen, as the two usually got on like a house on fire. But it was what the disagreement was about that gave him the biggest shock.

"You stupid bastard, will you stop yelling at me and explain what you're actually on about?"

"For Ra's sake, I've already explained it! Were you taught how to be annoying or did it just come naturally?"

"Will you quit the insults already! I'm trying to help!" Malik shouted.

A derisive snort. "Oh yeah, sure. Well, you've been really helpful so far!"

"Just shut-" The Egyptian took a deep breath, choking down his rising temper with difficulty. "Okay, okay, fine. Let's just start from the beginning. Now, what do you want advice about?"

Glaring at him, the spirit also tried to calm down. When he spoke, it was with hesitation. "About…about my hikari. I don't really know how to put this but…" He took a deep breath. "Last time I hurt him, yesterday, I didn't get any satisfaction from it. None at all. And whenever I come near him he cringes. Like he expects me to slap him or something. And I don't enjoy his fear like I used to. It's more irritating then anything else."

Malik raised an eyebrow. "Hell, 'Kura, how did you think he feels about you? Did you imagine he thinks of you as his best friend?"

"Well, no, but… Dammit, he hates me! You heard him a few days ago! He's rather have the bloody Pharaoh as his yami than me!"

"And you actually care?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't?"

"No. It's just that you never seemed to care before. Of course Ryou hates you. Why are you so surprised?"

"I don't know! I just don't like the idea of him hating me. Also, when I think of all the things I've done to him, I start to feel guilty. What's happening to me?"

The Rod-holder sighed in sudden understanding. "It's very simple. You're developing something called a conscience."

"A what? What does it do?"

"Whenever you do stuff…evil stuff, which people like Ryou or Yugi generally consider wrong, you will experience feelings of remorse. You also start being nicer to people."

"Oh, how tiresome. How do I get rid of it?"

Malik grinned wickedly. "You can't."

"So I'm doomed to becoming a _nice_ person?"

"Yes. You know, some people consider being nice a good thing."

"Well, not me! I'm perfectly happy being evil! I'm practically famous for it! Now I'm actually starting to care about whether my hikari is happy or not. Oh my Ra, what am I saying?"

"I still don't understand why you're talking to me about this. You should talk to your hikari about stuff like this."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you because…because you're my friend and I trust your judgement!" Bakura burst out. "Besides, he wouldn't understand."

"He'd understand a damn lot more than you think."

"But how can I explain that I don't want to hurt him any more? Oh, and this is assuming he believes me, which he probably won't."

"Personally, I wouldn't blame Ryou for not believing you."

"Thanks," the Ring spirit said bitterly.

"Oh for Ra's sake, 'Kura, think of all the things you've done to him. He'd probably think this was another of your sick 'games.'"

"How can you say that when you've stood there watching and not said a word?" Bakura demanded. _You hypocritical baka…_

Malik didn't reply for a moment. Then he said quietly, "Maybe we've both changed."

"Great."

"I still think you should talk to Ryou," the Rod-holder stated.

"…Fine, I'll talk to him." Bakura sat down on a muddy log and stared morosely at the ground.

"You okay? It's just that you look sort of pale…" Malik broke off as his friend gave a shuddering gasp and threw up.

"Is this part of having a conscience too?" he whispered.

"Uh…no." Malik said slowly. "…My Ra, Bakura, you've thrown up _blood._ That's not good."

Ryou couldn't take any more. He ran towards his dark anxiously. (Yami?)

The spirit's eyes widened when he saw his hikari appear from nowhere. And to make things worse, he was _concerned._ Bakura's stomach gave a churn that had nothing to do with being sick. ((G-go away hikari. I'm f-fine.)) His face turned slightly green and he staggered off further into the trees.

Both lights winced as there were retching noises and an awful splattering sound. Their eyes met, awkwardly. Malik stammered, "D-did you h-hear what he said before? About-"

Ryou was equally embarrassed, but hurriedly cut him off before he could finish. "Um, yeah."

"Ah." Malik looked carefully at the ground.

Maybe he'll feel better if he goes back into the Ring. (Yami?) Ryou called.

His dark stumbled back, looking even paler. "I-I don't feel too good."

"Slight understatement," Malik muttered. After all, there was no need to suppose, especially when the evidence lay all around them.

(Do you want to go back into the Ring?)

((Yeah…)) Bakura vanished.

Ryou and Malik looked at each other again. "I didn't know spirits could get sick," the latter said quietly.

"Me neither."

They walked back in silence.

………..

When they got back they found Yugi, Lyra and Will surrounding Yami, and arguing loudly. Ryou wasn't sure whether it was a trick of the light, but he thought Yami looked paler than usual.

"Dammit, will you all stop fussing?" the Puzzle spirit demanded.

"Not until you tell us what's wrong!" Lyra argued.

"Nothing is wrong! I'm absolutely fine!"

"Aibou, you nearly fainted!" Yugi protested.

"That was NOT fainting! I…just felt tired and wanted to sit down!"

"…What's happening?" Malik enquired cautiously.

"Yami practically fainted just now, and he won't admit it. I think he's ill," Yugi explained patiently.

"**For the last time, I am NOT ILL!"** the spirit hollered.

Malik blinked. Yami, like all of the darker halves, had a bad temper, but he usually controlled it, and he never shouted at Yugi. Something was wrong.

"My yami doesn't feel well either. He was throwing up blood a minute ago," Ryou said slowly.

"Maybe…maybe there's a virus going round or something," Lyra offered.

Will shrugged. "Maybe."

Yami was silent, staring off into space. Will noticed this. "Are you even listening?" He waved his hand impatiently in front of the spirit's face.

Yami didn't respond. He definitely looked paler than normal, and Ryou suddenly noticed he was swaying slightly.

"Aibou!" Yugi rushed forward and caught his yami just as he fainted. The Pharaoh lay there for a moment, his body twitching, and then it drifted away as he went back into the Puzzle.

The tri-coloured boy straightened. "Poor aibou."

Will was obviously thinking hard. "I don't think this is just a coincidence. After all, what are the odds of both, uh…yamis falling ill at the same time?"

Lyra looked at Malik closely. "How's yours feeling? Cos if he's ill too then something is _definitely_ wrong…"

"Hang on." The Egyptian closed his eyes. (Hey yami? You there?)

((…Fuck off. I have a headache. It is a big one. Now leave me alone, or I'll kill you.)) When Malik continued to hover outside his soul room, the spirit screamed, ((FUCK OFF!))

Something smashed against the wall of Yami Malik's soul room, making his hikari jump. The object sounded expensive.

Malik opened his eyes slowly. "Okay, he just tried to throw something at me. And he said he had a headache. Which is unusual in itself because he doesn't normally tell me when he's in pain."

Lyra was already fumbling in her rucksack for the alethiometer. "I can ask it what's happening…" She pulled the object out, pushing aside the heavy velvet cloth, and started to set the hands in place.

All eyes were upon her now as she gazed fiercely at the symbols, the fourth hand spinning round and round. Her eyes followed the pattern without hesitation. After a few seconds she took a sharp intake of breath, the blood visibly draining from her face. But the alethiometer hadn't finished yet, and she bent over it again, watching.

The group was beginning to grow uneasy. This increased even further when Lyra finally looked up, face pale and drawn. Pan was hopping about on her shoulder, sharing her agitation.

"Its bad, isn't it?" Will whispered.

The blonde girl's voice shook so much it was barely audible. "Y-yeah, it's b-bad…it's r-really bad…" She stared desperately at the now-still alethiometer. "It said…" A deep breath. "It s-said that yamis, they're l-like dæmons, if they spend a long time away from the world they were born in, they…they get really sick and eventually they…_die…_"

There was a strange ringing sound in Ryou's ears. His body had become completely numb. _This…is not happening…please…_

"B-but we _can't_ go home," Yugi whispered desperately. "The subtle knife can't find our world, we can't-" He stopped unable to continue.

Will and Lyra were looking at the three boys with wide, horrified eyes.

"How-how long?" Ryou choked out. "Until…how long?"

Lyra consulted the alethiometer again, and the reply was painfully swift. "It…depends on close the two halves are…but, I'd say at the most…"

"How long?"

"Five days," Lyra said quietly. "Give or take a few hours."

"No," Ryou whispered. "Oh God, please no."

"There must be some way to stop this," Malik insisted. "Lyra…can't you ask the alethiometer if there's any way to stop it?"

"I could try…" The girl started to push the hands back into place, twirling a lock of ash-blonde hair around her finger as she did so. The hands spun rapidly round and round, and everyone watched, although none except Lyra knew what it meant.

"Yes!" Lyra exclaimed. "There is a way, I knew it!" She watched as the picture-reader began to explain. But as she bent over it, beginning to read, there was a harsh cry from the air, and a grey-white blur swooped down and seized the alethiometer from her in sharp, ruthless claws.

Lyra let out a shriek, more from surprise and pain, and made a futile grasp for it. But somehow her fingers wouldn't quite reach far enough, and the alethiometer slipped past her straining fingertips. The bird let out a caw of triumph and fled into the sky, clutching its prize.

The girl watched the thief fly away for a few moments in silence, then sank back down to the ground in defeat, head in her hands. "Why this?" she moaned. "Why does everything have to happen now?"

Will for the moment was more concerned for her knees. "Did it get you?"

"Only a scratch." Lyra clutched her hair desperately. "It had the answer!" she yelled. "It knew the answer and it was gonna tell me but then that bloody bird had to come and take it-" She clenched her fists. "I'm gonna bloody find it and pull its bloody head off, that- that-"

"It wasn't your fault," Malik said comfortingly. "How were you supposed to know it was there? It just came straight out of the air."

"But I've let them down," Lyra whispered. "I let Yugi and Ryou down, oh God…"

"But-" Malik looked helplessly at Ryou, whose face was expressionless.

"R-Ryou…?"

"Fuck off."


	14. Changes

A/N: And I'm BACK from my holidays, with a new chapter! I'm sorry about the wait, but it was hardly my fault. I must mention that I was astonished by the number of reviews the last chapter received, and am exceedingly grateful to everyone who reviewed. Put basically, I am on top of the world!!!

OK, for every day now that passes by in the fic, I'm gonna put another letter on my lil' virtual Ouija board. When the five letters spell out DEATH, Yami, Bakura and Yami Malik are going to die. Don't ask why I'm doing this- it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

Oh, and Ryou and Bakura are NOT, and NEVER WILL BE, a yaoi couple in this fic. That is a promise. I can't say the same for other fics, but in this fic there will be no yaoi between them. I believe that there can be fluff-like behaviour between people i.e. hugging, without it being gay.

Also, when Bakura says the things about the Fates, Serafina Pekkala DID say it in the original Northern Lights. I can't say exactly where, unfortunately, as I can't remember. But she DID say it.

One last thing. Has anyone noticed that there is an error in Northern Lights? In the beginning, Ma Costa is described as having a bird daemon (I think it was a falcon, if I remember rightly) and later on, we are told it is a wolfhound. Strange…

Warnings: fluff, bit of bad language

The Japanese words I use translate as follows:

Iie: no

Onegai: please

Ashiteru: I love you

Oh, and a tiny bit of Arabic as well:

Na'am: yes

Chapter Fourteen-Changes

Ouija Board: D

"Bakura?" He watched as Ryou's hair curled into spikes.

"Hai?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Start talking."

Malik wanted to hit him. "I need to talk to you _alone."_

"Oh. Fine." Shrugging, Bakura split off and followed him into the forest. Malik turned and, for a moment, he saw Ryou watching them, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Malik met his gaze and Ryou instantly looked away, face blank and expressionless, just as it had been since yesterday afternoon.

…………..

As soon as they were out of earshot the Tomb Robber promptly said, "So. What do you want to talk about?"

Malik sighed heavily, wondering how to put this. "I…I'm really worried about Ryou," he said eventually. "He…he's taking this really badly."

"He is?"

"Mmm. He's hardly said anything since yesterday afternoon. And every time I look at him, its like he isn't there. You know, like he's become a robot or something. He doesn't talk to anyone anymore."

Bakura shrugged. "What's wrong with that? Ryou isn't very talkative at the best of times."

"What do you mean, 'what's wrong with that?'" Malik demanded. "What's wrong with that is that he doesn't feel like he can talk to you, or anyone else, about his feelings. He's just bottling them up inside."

Another shrug. "Why would he want to talk to me anyway?"

"Because you're his yami and-_if you shrug like that again I'll kill you!"_

Bakura stopped in mid-shrug, one shoulder half raised. There was a hint of his yami in Malik's expression, in the way his hair was flaring around him. "Sheesh, no need to spaz out over it." He suddenly remembered the last time Malik had got angry, and swallowed hard.

The Egyptian glared daggers at him. "Why the hell have you got to be so _insensitive_ about everything?" he yelled in exasperation. When the spirit just looked at him blankly, he choked down his anger with difficulty and went on more quietly: "Fine, forget that. How about this: how do you feel about the fact that you're going to die in five days and there's nothing you can do about it?"

The Tomb-Robber was about to shrug, but then thought better of it. "I really don't get why everyone's so upset. I've already died once. Anyway, I'm a spirit. I can't _actually_ die. I'll just lie in the Ring in a coma or something for a few more millennia until my next reincarnation comes along."

"And you don't think you'll be missed or anything? You don't care about anyone you'll be leaving behind?"

Bakura got it, a bit. "Oh. Does this you'll miss me?"

Malik sat down, burying his face in his hands. "How is it possible for someone to be this thick?" he mumbled. Bakura heard him and frowned.

The Egyptian looked up, slightly uncomfortably. "…Of course I'll be missing you, you stupid bastard. Although don't ask me why. Anyway, what I'm trying to drive into your thick skull is the fact that _Ryou_ is going to be missing you even more."

"Why?"

"Because…because you've been treating him like shit all these years, and then as soon as you decide you're going to be nice to him, it turns out that you can't survive in this world and am going to die. Of _course_ he doesn't want you to go: at least _I_ got to know the nicer part of you. He didn't. He just knows it's in there somewhere." He gazed at the ground. "…And I just get the feeling that if you die, he'll just…fall apart. You know, inside."

"So what do you want me to do? I've been trying to be nicer to him."

"When?"

"…Well, actually we haven't really spoken to each other much," the spirit confessed. "I don't think he wants to talk to me. He's been pretty quiet. So I don't talk to him."

"I don't believe it," the Egyptian said in hoarse disbelief. He clutched his head. "…Don't you even think you should _try_ and help Ryou?"

Bakura considered the question, before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. He'll pull through. He always does."

Malik had had enough. "Well I'm glad _one _of you fucking spirits is happy about this!" he screamed at a startled Bakura. Still clutching his head, he stormed off.

……….

That evening Ryou went back into the forest. He couldn't stand being around the others anymore – every time he looked into their eyes he saw pity, pity for himself and pity for Bakura. Ryou didn't like being pitied. At least if he was by himself he could try and forget about things for a while. He had survived the day simply by blocking out what was going on around him; blocking out the fact that Bakura was going to die in four days and there was nothing he could do about it.

He had watched his yami and Malik go off together, of course, and a part of him had wondered briefly what they wanted to talk about, but another part of him wondered why he cared.

It had been windy last night, to say the least. A howling gale had swept across most of Cittagazze, and several trees had been uprooted. One lay sideways across his path, a sad carcass of the majestic figure it had once been. Ryou sat down on the trunk carefully. He had always felt a vague sort of liking, mingled with respect, for these giants; solitary figures that stood and watched the world go by in knowing silence. Resting his chin lightly in pale hands, he gazed unseeingly around him, working hard to empty his mind of all emotion, pulling in everything that could feel or be hurt.

For a while he just sat there, almost in a state of meditation, oblivious, feeling nothing. Not feeling the rough scrape of the bark against his jeans, not feeling the cool breeze that swirled around him, making his skin shiver at the touch, not feeling the kindly warmth of the sun decrease and fade as it started to set, sinking below the horizon. Feeling nothing.

It broke eventually, as all things do. Eventually he looked up, and was instantly reminded of what was happening. Surrendering to the despair, he started shaking uncontrollably, fighting back the tears he told himself weren't there.

((Ryou, why are you always feeling so miserable?)) Bakura remembered that he was trying to be 'nice' to his light, and split off. It took him more effort than usual, but still he sat down next to his light and placed a hand on his shoulder. ((Calm down. Look, I'm still here. For now, at least.))

(Stop it!) Ryou shouted.

His yami was baffled. ((Stop what?))

(Being so goddam _nice!_ It's making me feel worse!)

((Do you want me to start hurting you or something then?)) Bakura was really starting to feel confused now. For Ra's sake, he was trying to be _kind_ to Ryou, and in return for his pains he was snapped at.

There was a pause, while Ryou stared moodily at the ground. Bakura could feel a turmoil of emotions building inside his light, and waited patiently for Ryou to let them out.

Eventually he burst out, "Why do you have to die?"

The Tomb Robber sighed, and inched a tiny bit closer to his hikari. _Dammit, what do you say to something like that? Um… _"Ryou, sometimes you just have to accept that some things are meant to happen, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it."

"Well I'm not going to accept this!"

"I _know_ you haven't accepted it. You've just been trying to act as if nothing is happening. But. That. Isn't. Going. To. Work."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Ryou demanded.

His dark adopted a 'reasonable' tone. "Listen. I've been around for three thousand-odd years. Okay, most of that was spent sleeping in a piece of gold, but still, its not like I haven't seen most of what the world has to offer. Hell, I've already died once. It's not such a big deal." He played absently with the tines of the Ring, making them jangle.

"It is a big deal to me."

"Obviously," Bakura said dryly. There was a reflective pause, and then he asked, "Do you believe in Fate? You know, that certain stuff is going to happen no matter what?"

His hikari thought for a moment. "…I don't know."

"Because you believe you were destined to have the Ring, right? And if you believe that, why not believe this as well?"

"I guess," Ryou said uncertainly. "It…sort of makes sense."

"There you go then. All this philosophy stuff never makes total sense anyway." Bakura let go of the Ring and started off into space. "We are all subject to the Fates. Yet we must all act as if we are not, or die of despair."

His light looked at him strangely. "Where did that come from?"

"I heard the witch say it once."

Ryou was silent, and Bakura wondered if he had even heard. Suddenly his lighter half yelled, "It's not fair! Why does this always happen to us?"

The Tomb Robber sighed again. _At least he's letting out his feelings. Malik said that would be a good thing, right? _"I'm not going to say 'life's not fair,' because that would be a crap cliché and I don't like using crap clichés. But right now it would be damn appropriate." He reached down and brought out a knife from his belt as he spoke. The blood cravings were beginning to return, a little, and he really wanted to-

Reading his mind, Ryou scowled and pulled the knife out of his grip. "Don't do that. You need to save your strength."

Bakura gave a hollow laugh. "And what would be the point of that?" He tugged hopefully at the knife, which his hikari held just out of his reach. "Give it back, Ryou. You have no idea how much I want blood right now. And it would make me stronger."

"Not if you bleed to death or something."

His yami looked beseechingly at him. Relenting slightly, Ryou cut his finger very carefully, pressing the knife against his skin until the blood appeared. "Fine. But at least have mine instead."

Bakura looked slowly at it, and then looked away again. But Ryou still caught the longing in his eyes, the way they flickered red, just for a moment, and this made him hold out his finger again. His yami jumped up and took a step away from him.

"Stop it. I don't want to take it from you. But you come any closer and I _will_ do it. And I won't stop, I'll just keep going and going. Is that what you want?" He was shaking from holding himself back. Ra dammit, he wanted that blood _so_ badly. It was almost as if it was calling to him, and he was powerless to resist.

Ryou hesitated, then wiped his finger on his jeans. Bakura sighed, out of a mixture of relief and disappointment, and sat back down next to him. "That's better."

Their eyes met, then, embarrassed, both looked away. Bakura was first to look up again, sneaking a glance at his hikari. Tentatively, he reached out and put an arm around him. Ryou tensed, unused to such contact (and by his yami of all people), but after a few moments, when nothing happened, shuffled slightly nearer and cuddled him tightly. There was something that could almost have been an aura of peacefulness around them, if such a feeling even existed anymore.

The stillness was broken when Ryou gave a tremendous, jaw-splitting yawn, which lasted almost a minute.

((You tired?)) Bakura whispered.

(Yeah, a bit…) Ryou leaned nervously against him, soft white hair tickling his other's face. When a few moments had passed, and no protest had been uttered, he gingerly lowered his head into his yami's lap. Fleetingly, he wondered if he would be pushed away, but when nothing happened he relaxed and lay down along the tree trunk. He outstretched his arms hopefully, reaching out for the other part of himself, and felt rather than saw him wrap a slender arm around his shoulders, holding him close.

Ryou craned his neck upwards and saw that his yami was looking, not at him, but vacantly into the distance. The spirit was shivering violently, but not from cold.

(Yami?)

((…Na'am?)) The reply came in Arabic, sounding far-off and distant.

(Could…could you stay out of the Ring for a bit longer? I need to know you're still there.)

Bakura blinked, looking absently down, and realised his light was pulling at his sleeve. ((Sure.)) Sensing his hikari needed reassuring, he stroked the silky hair, and felt Ryou draw slightly closer. Giving a small but contended smile, he burrowed more deeply into his yami's lap. Minutes passed and slowly his eyes closed, breathing becoming quiet and rhythmical.

Bakura looked down at him fondly; his previous troubled thoughts slipping noiselessly away, although not for too long. _He's so sweet…_

The teenager's body quivered slightly, and Bakura instinctively put his other arm around the thin back, trying to keep him warm. Moving it down a little, he felt the steady beat of his hikari's pulse, strangely comforting against his own cold, lifeless body. For a split second he sensed the natural warmth that Ryou's body gave off, before it was sucked into the Ring. The word _parasite_ flashed into the spirit's mind, and he shuddered.

Ra, but Ryou was so cute. Just look at him, sleeping in his evil yami's arms like a little child. Bakura sighed softly, his thoughts confused and uneasy. So innocent, especially in sleep. Even the Ring around his neck couldn't mar his angelic appearance-_the Ring?!_

Bakura's body jerked in surprise, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. _The hell?!_

There was no denying the fact: his light was lying across his lap with _the Ring around his neck._ For a moment the spirit simply stared, goggling at the unfamiliar sight. Whenever he split off from Ryou, the Ring would move from his hikari to himself, sensing the shadow powers within Bakura and being attracted to them.

In shock, still steadfastly refusing to believe it, he clawed desperately at his shirt, but his fingers closed on nothing more than air. ((Ryou…))

The brown eyes opened slowly, gazing sleepily back at him. (What is it?)

((The Ring…it's…)) Not knowing quite what to say, Bakura pointed at the Item hanging from his light's neck. It flashed suddenly, as if in warning, and the spirit felt the sudden close sensation of danger. He looked around uncertainly, but everything seemed normal.

Ryou looked down slowly, then stared at him. (Yami, what **are **you talking about?)

((But-)) Bakura blinked in surprise, as he looked back at his lighter half, then down at his shirt, where the Ring had reappeared and was hanging there innocently. ((It…it disappeared…just now…))

Ryou raised an eyebrow. (Ooookay.) Dismissing the event, he closed his eyes again and settled back down.

Bakura waited, expecting developments of some sort, but when several minutes had passed, where the Ring didn't move and Ryou was obviously asleep again, he shrugged and scratched his head slowly. ((I must be going crazy or something…))

Looking up warily, he saw in astonishment that the sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a soft pink glow. _I'd better take Ryou back to the others before they start getting worried._

Carefully he pushed his light off his lap, who gave a sleepy murmur but didn't protest. Bakura gently put one arm under his light's neck and the other under his knees, before lifting him up. Ryou felt warm and limp in his arms. The spirit cradled him, a part of him almost delighting in his hikari's helplessness. Ryou was very light, and a part of Bakura's mind registered in dull surprise the fact that, although he was getting weaker with every passing moment, he could still lift his other half up with barely any effort at all. Brushing the soft white bangs off Ryou's pale face, he adjusted his position so his light would be more comfortable and then set off to join the others.

……………

Will pushed another stick absently into the fire, and looked up to see Bakura walking quietly towards him, holding his lighter half in his arms. The sight was so unfamiliar, so untypical of Bakura, who Will had come to regard as even more weird than Malik, that the teenager started, blurting out, "What happened to Ryou?"

The Tomb Robber gave him a haughty glance, before answering: "Nothing happened. He's just very tired." _I suppose you thought I'd beaten him up or something?_

Will flushed slightly. Bakura hadn't said the question out loud, but his face said it clearly enough. He watched in slightly confused silence as the spirit carefully set down his hikari, who was now half-awake. Bakura helped Ryou climb into his sleeping bag, tucking the blankets around him and then sitting next to him like a watchdog. Ryou pulled himself up a little, just enough to give his yami a clumsy hug, and Bakura hugged him back, both of them ignoring Will completely.

Darkness settled around the trio like a black cloak as the sun sank below the horizon.

Ryou had already fallen asleep. Bakura was still awake, as far as Will could tell; silent and cross-legged, as if made out of stone. The only sign of life, physical or otherwise, was the Ring hanging around his neck. It glowed steadily, but it was a pallid, feeble light, a pale imitation of what it had been before.

Will whispered, "Bakura?"

The figure stirred, uncrossing his legs. "Yes?"

"I just…never mind."

Bakura let out a grunt of annoyance, moving slightly closer to the sleeping bag.

Suddenly he stiffened.

"You okay?"

"Yes…" Bakura looked at his light again. "Ryou's not though. I think…I think he's having a nightmare." He reached out with his hand; fingers just touching the shaking shoulder. Ryou shuddered, his body shying away from the touch of his yami's hand. Bakura stiffened, and when he looked up Will saw that his expression was somewhere between hurt and defensive.

"What sort of nightmare is it?"

"I...What the hell do you mean, 'what sort of nightmare is it?'" Bakura snarled in reply. "What kind of stupid question is that?"

He saw Will looked taken aback at the outburst, and his features softened slightly. "…Sorry. I…can have a bad temper."

The teenager made a neutral sound and said nothing. Feeling slightly guilty, which was about as remorseful as he ever got, Bakura opened his mouth with the intention of trying to describe Ryou's nightmare, but no sound came out. He frowned and tried again, with a similar level of success. _The hell?_

He closed his eyes cautiously, and immediately sensed it: some part of Ryou that wasn't quite asleep was gripping his mind, hanging on with a sort of desperate need. It wasn't really painful, but as a warning it was effective enough.

Giving up the struggle, he said to Will, who had one eyebrow raised, "Never mind. Ryou won't let me tell you."

Casting a slightly resentful look at his hikari, he moved closer to the fire and stuck out his hands, slender and somehow deathly white, in an effort to keep warm. Will moved closer too, but the heat was so great that he had to retreat, holding his hands at a safe distance. "God, it's hot. How can you hold your hands so far in?"

Bakura gave an elegant shrug, withdrawing his hands and holding one out for the boy to touch. Will's eyes widened slightly in what might have been fear, or merely surprise. "You're _freezing!_ Why are you so cold?"

"I'm always cold." Bakura's tone, like his hands, was frosty, with a touch of bitterness. "I haven't been properly warm for three thousand years."

"My God."

"Are you pitying me?" The ice was still there, but it had turned threatening. "I don't want your worthless pity. I'm used to being the way I am. I don't care anymore." A long, thin crack zigzagged its way through the ice, and it began to break. "Anyway, being a spirit has its advantages, just like everything else."

"Such as?" Will was trying to keep his tone interested, not interrogatory, sensing the fire that still burned beneath the ice.

"I don't need to eat, drink or go to the toilet. I have shadow powers of my own. Also, when I split off, this…body, it heals a lot faster than normal." Fresh cuts, oozing blood from a long-dead body. Then, a few hours later, all gone, the only sign a faint scar. Or ten. And who cared if little wounds would heal, if the deepest one stayed? Never healing, always growing. His spirit state had done him some favours, granted. But it was his spirit state that was killing him.

"Oh." Silence, as Will pondered as to what he could say. "You said you don't have to eat. But can you?"

An unconcerned shrug was the only response. "If I want to."

Will though for a moment, then reached into his rucksack and drew out a thermal flask. He unscrewed the cap and poured out some hot chocolate. "Do you want any? It's pretty hot, though. I dunno if that would affect you or anything."

"I'm not _numb,"_ Bakura snapped irritably. "I can feel warmth. It just doesn't seem to reach me inside."

"…Oh," Will said again. What could one say to something like that anyway?

"Can I try some anyway?"

Will nodded nervously and passed him the cup. Bakura received it silently and held it in his hands for a moment, scrutinising it. Then he sipped it, cautiously, feeling the sugary heat surge though his body. Setting the empty cup down on the ground, he gave the smallest ghost of a smile. It only lasted a moment, to be replaced with the spirit's customary lack of emotion. But Will was still left with the memory of that expression.

Bakura hadn't experienced many things that gave him that warm feeling, with the exception of alcohol and blood. The chocolate had the same sort of sweetness as blood, but it seemed a much more socially acceptable alternative. Not that he cared.

"That wasn't too bad."

Will was getting used to Bakura, a little. 'Not bad,' he was starting to realise, meant that the spirit had genuinely enjoyed it but didn't want to say so.

"It's the sugar rush. It'll probably wear off in a few minutes. You should try tea. Maybe then you'd be able to stay awake a bit longer?"

Bakura shrugged. The yamis' sleeping habits were different from their hikaris; they usually stayed awake for days on end without feeling remotely tired, then locked themselves into their soul rooms and slept for a week or so. "Maybe. As a matter of fact I'm going to go to sleep now. I haven't slept properly for about five days."

Will smiled uncertainly, unsure whether this was a joke or not. He watched the spirit of the Ring lie down and curl up, catlike, next to his other half. He appeared to fall asleep within moments, but Will, wondering if he was really asleep, prodded him cautiously. The spirit didn't move.

"Huh. Lucky thing. I wish I could fall asleep that fast."

"Same here." Malik spoke in low, hushed tones, so as not to wake either of them up. It was more for Ryou's benefit than Bakura's anyway-spirits always slept deeply.

Will jumped slightly as the Egyptian's voice floated through the cold night air, coming out of nowhere. He looked over his shoulder and watched Malik come over.

The Rod-holder had spent the past few hours satisfying his OCD by clearing up everyone's litter and making sure everyone's sleeping bag was exactly parallel to the ones next to it. He shook his head when Will held out the flask questioningly. "No thanks. I'm not thirsty."

There was s pause, during which both pairs of eyes wandered, almost involuntarily, towards Ryou and Bakura, curled tightly around each other.

Yugi came back from his walk in the forest, clutching the Puzzle as if someone was going to steal it from him. His violet eyes widened as he saw Malik and Will, who weren't exactly famous for getting on with each other, chatting like old friends. Looking past them, he gaped openly at the sight of Ryou lying in his sleeping bag, his yami entwined protectively around him. Deep in his soul room, Yami saw this through his light's eyes, and gave a small smile of understanding. Yugi just stared.

Malik broke off from his conversation with Will, and caught sight of Yugi gawping at Ryou and Bakura. Feeling suddenly defensive for them, he growled, "What's so fascinating?"

Yugi looked at him, startled. "N-nothing."


	15. Things that go bump in the night

Chapter Fifteen: Things that go bump in the night.

Ouija Board: DE

…………….

((Yadonushi, you've defied me again. Would you like another 'lesson?' I know you enjoy them…))

(No…please…)

Bakura laughed and drove one of the Ring's tines into Ryou's chest. The teenager screamed, but no sound came out.

((Frighten easily, don't you?)) A sigh. ((When will you accept that you mean nothing to me? You know that the only reason you came into being was to be my host, a vessel for my plans.)) Bakura laughed, the sound low and menacing. ((Come now, my host. You're a very special person. It's a privilege to have me living inside you. You don't know how lucky you are.))

(D-don't…)

((Don't what? You're not arguing with me, are you host? Why bother to argue anyway? You know I'm right. I'm always right.))

(You're not supposed to be doing this…you can't…)

((My landlord, you're in denial again. I can do whatever I want.))

((You don't know how lucky you are.))

((When will you accept that you mean nothing to me?))

((Nothing…))

((Nothing…))

((Nothi-))

………………

Ryou shot upright, realising seconds later that he was drenched in cold sweat. Relief made him shake uncontrollably. What had it been, anyway? He knew it had been a dream. _Only_ a dream. But had it actually happened? Or was it just the fragmented, jumbled up pieces showing what his life had been like days before? He wasn't sure.

"Ryou, are you okay?"

He managed to give Yugi a weak smile. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were _screaming_ in your sleep," the tri-coloured boy supplied nervously.

"It was just a bad dream. Don't worry about it." It was beyond easy to lie to Yugi. He was so trusting he never seemed to want to think people were lying anyway.

((I still scare you, don't I?))

(Don't be stupid.) He replied a little too quickly, wanting everyone to just leave him alone. Especially his other half.

((Ryou, don't lie to me. I can feel your fear. You can't hide stuff like that from me.))

(I don't know what you're talking about,) the hikari replied abruptly.

"Ryou? _Ryou?"_

The teenager was not disappointed at the interruption. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I said you need to get up now. There's something everyone needs to see."

Ryou sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fists as he got up, stretching. His body stiffened in amazement. "What the hell…?"

"Exactly." Yugi followed his gaze.

The site looked as if it had been struck by a hurricane. Blankets were strewn all around them, covered in mud, and the firewood had been scattered to the winds. What was more, several trees had been uprooted, and one had been snapped clean in half. Ryou felt a deep sadness flow through him like an icy river at this. He had always liked trees.

"It…it must have been some kind of freak wind or something…" But what kind of wind would throw their possessions everywhere, while leaving themselves untouched?

"That's what we all thought at first. But then Lyra spotted this." Yugi guided him over to one of the few trees still standing, and Ryou saw that its trunk was smoking faintly.

"Yugi? Is this your deck?" Malik ran over, holding something in his hands.

The Puzzle-holder went whiter than paper. "Y-yes! What happened to it?"

"I've no idea. I just found them lying on the ground while I was trying to clear up. I think the rest of them are about somewhere..."

"Look, there's one over here." Ryou pointed, and Yugi hastily stooped down and picked it up.

"There are still loads missing! I have to look for them!" He took the pitifully small pile of cards from Malik and started searching the ground.

"Why would Yugi's deck end up like that?" Ryou asked in mounting confusion. "He keeps it in his pocket. Someone must have removed it – there's no chance of any sort of wind blowing it out."

"I know what you mean," Malik said slowly. "Why just throw the cards around? Why not take it?" He reached into his pocket cautiously. "Hmmm. My deck is untouched. How about yours?"

Ryou hastily put a hand in his pocket, and felt his fingers close over the familiar shape. To his surprise it felt slightly warm, as if it had been recently used. "…No, mine's fine too." He decided not to mention the heat. He was probably imagining it anyway.

Yugi was still hunting for his cards. He had found most of them, but Dark Magician was missing, and he was struggling to fight down a feeling of rising panic.

((Over there. Behind that rock.)) Yami's voice was weaker than usual.

(Arigato, aibou.) The card was lying facedown on the ground, and Yugi picked it up carefully. He turned it over, and the picture of the Dark Magician gazed meaningfully back at him. Yugi could have sworn it winked, and he frowned slightly.

(Did you see that too?)

((Yes. Well, you know what they say. If only the cards could talk…))

(Yeah.) Yugi replaced the card in his deck and put it back into his pocket.

…………

After a lot of discussion, the group agreed that two people would stay awake that night and watch for danger. Will stooped down and pick up some sticks of firewood. They were useless for burning now, as they were already black and crumbling. He used the subtle knife to trim five pieces all to the same length, then chopped an extra inch off the last two. When he grasped them in his fist no one could tell which were the long ones.

"People with short sticks stay awake tonight." He held his hand out to Malik, who picked one.

"Long." There was slight relief in his voice- as a Tomb Keeper he had spent many nights watching over pyramids, and those long, monotonous nights had taught him to value his sleep.

Lyra was next. "Short." She looked slightly excited.

((Second to the right,)) Yami whispered.

(What?)

((I take it you want to sleep tonight?))

(Oh yeah.)

Yugi drew the piece of wood out of Will's hand. "Long."

Ryou reached out. "…Short." The word was said with no emotion at all. He didn't know whether he was glad or not._ At least I won't get nightmares again tonight. I'll probably be in one._

((Optimistic, as usual,)) Bakura muttered.

……………

That night, while everyone else was asleep, Ryou and Lyra lay on top of their sleeping bags, talking quietly in an effort to stay awake. Lyra had brewed a pot of tea earlier and between sips she gave her companion a detailed account of her life in Oxford, and her adventures with Will. She would have done so at the beginning, but she and Will hadn't developed the same feelings of trust for this trio as they had done now. Ryou listened with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, his mind on other things, while a firefly-Pan zoomed overhead in a failing attempt to provide some light. Will had expressively forbidden them to light a fire, fearing that it would warn off this mysterious intruder, meaning that Ryou and Lyra were permanently shaking with cold. Though Lyra had her dæmon to warm her, and Ryou was beyond caring.

Eventually Pan, tired of giving out light, became an owl, and Lyra and Ryou were unexpectedly plunged into darkness. The former gave a muffled curse as she stood up and nearly hit her dæmon.

"Pan! Why did you have to do that? We can't see anything!"

"There isn't really much to see," he commented calmly.

"Well I don't like being in total darkness! I've no idea what's happening around me! Ryou could fall down dead right now and I wouldn't know anything about it."

Beside her, she heard the white-haired teenager give a short laugh. "Like that's likely to happen." (Still, I wouldn't mind some light. Yami, can you make the Ring glow or something?)

There were numerous grumblings from Bakura's soul room at being woken up _again,_ but then, finally, a grumpy reply. ((Fine.)) He split off, and the Ring emitted a very faint glow. "Happy now?"

"Yeah, thanks," Lyra said gratefully.

"Wasn't talking to you," the spirit muttered irritably. His hikari gave him a warning nudge, which he didn't bother to acknowledge. Reaching for the blanket that Ryou had discarded earlier, he wrapped it around himself in an effort to keep warm. After a moment, he unwrapped it and pulled some of it around his lighter half as well.

((That okay?))

A small smile. (Thank you.)

Pan had become a large dog, and was snuggling against Lyra in a similar way to Ryou and Bakura. Lyra clutched him tightly, enjoying the sensation of having a large permanently hot water bottle next to her body.

"So, what do you think that thing was that came yesterday night?" she asked conversationally. It was so tiresome not to have the alethiometer around to answer questions such as this. She wondered with a sudden pang whether she would ever see it again.

Bakura shrugged. "Who knows?" He shivered suddenly within his blanket.

"You okay?" Ryou whispered.

His yami scowled at him. "Stop fussing, Ryou. I'm fine." He shivered again, violently.

Ryou looked at him in concern but said nothing, afraid of being rebuked again.

"I…I'm just going to the toilet," Bakura said suddenly. He got up and ran off.

Ryou and Lyra stared after him. "Can he even…you know, go to the toilet and stuff?" the girl questioned in confusion. "Cos he's a spirit, right?"

"Mmm," Ryou said slowly. "I don't know what he's up to, but he used to be a better liar than that. Maybe I should go after him…" He looked up doubtfully.

"I'll do it," Pantalaimon said quickly. He changed back into a firefly and zoomed off into the darkness before anyone could protest.

………..

"Bakura?" the daemon called softly. "Are you there?"

Silence.

"Bakura, I can see you."

The spirit looked around suspiciously, not recognising the voice. "Who is it?"

"Me, Pan." The daemon alighted softly on his shoulder, changing into an owl. "What are you doing here? And why did you run off like that?"

"G-go away." The spirit pushed him off, and bent over double, clutching his stomach. "Ow…fuck…" He vomited onto the ground, and Pan could see even in the near darkness the unmistakable red tinge of blood. Exhausted, Bakura sank down onto all fours, his breaths coming out in ragged pants.

"So that's why," Pan said quietly. He changed into a tiger, and nuzzled the spirit's ear. "You need to be resting, not out here like this. Can't you go back into Ryou's head or whatever it is you do? I'm sure it'd be better for you."

Bakura gave a bitter, hacking laugh. "Yes, brilliant idea. Throw up in his head instead. At least that way there won't be anything to clean up-" He started coughing, one hand on his chest where the Ring was.

The daemon waited patiently until he stopped, gasping for air. "Shit. This isn't fair. I'm a spirit; I'm not supposed to even _need_ to breathe, let alone feel that if I start coughing like that again I'll probably die from lack of oxygen or some other crap." He clutched the Ring as if he wanted to tear it off.

Pan licked his face gently, tasting salty moisture. The spirit sighed and looked at him, a dark figure almost indistinguishable from the blackness around them.

"Why are you even here anyway?"

"I came to look for you. Ryou was going to go but I said I would instead."

"Oh. Thanks." Bakura stared off into nothingness. "I wouldn't want him to find me like…like this." He started shaking again as another spasm of pain began to make itself known. Pan turned into a puppy and nipped his finger, very gently. Pale fingers came up and scratched the furry ears, as Pan's tail thumped a little in the darkness.

Eventually he whispered, "We should go back now. You can't stay here forever, you know." He tugged at Bakura's shirt.

The spirit nodded slowly. He put one hand in front of him and carefully straightened up. Pan could see his outline quivering.

"Just…just one moment." Bakura turned away, chest hitching, and was sick again. The vomit hit the ground with less force this time, but he was struggling to breathe even more than before.

"Okay. L-lets go."

Pan jumped up into his arms, and the spirit held him close against his shirt. "Huh. At least you're warm."

"And you're freezing," the daemon responded. "We should go back to Lyra and Ryou now. You're not going to feel any better, especially if you go away like this."

"I know that," Bakura said testily. He glared at the furry bundle in his arms.

Pan felt the force of his glare as though it had been physical. "Look, I appreciate you don't want him to see you in pain. But it hurts him more if you just leave him like that."

"I suppose." Bakura tried to feel if he was strong enough to make the Ring light up, and after a few seconds of effort was able to produce a tiny glow. Not capable of fully penetrating the darkness, it showed the ground just in front of him, and so would probably prevent any major accidents.

………….

"Yami?" Ryou saw to his immense relief that the approaching figure wore a faintly glowing light around his neck.

Bakura stooped down, letting Pantalaimon leap from his arms to Lyra's. The girl gave him a look of something that wasn't quite jealousy, as she cradled her daemon possessively.

(Are…are you feeling any better?) he ventured nervously.

((Not really. I'm going to go back into the Ring and sleep now, okay?))

(Okay.)

Seeing he had something else to say, Bakura waited.

Ryou hesitated, before asking him, (Did…did you throw up?)

For a moment the spirit was tempted to lie, then decided against it. ((Yes.))

(Oh.) Ryou was silent. Then, just as his yami was about to disappear back into the Ring, he whispered, (Good…good night…)

Bakura gave a small smile, just for a moment, and hugged him as tightly as he could. Then he vanished.

((See you in the morning.))

………………

Ouija Board: DEA

"What time is it?"

Lyra checked her watch for the umpteenth time. "Half past five."

Groans from all round greeted this remark. The night had passed without event, and they were bored out of their minds. By twenty past two they had run out of things to talk about. Worse, at quarter to four they had run out of tea. Ryou felt as if he would have to hold his eyelids up with matchsticks just to stay awake. He promised himself that once this was over he was going to get a minimum of twelve hours sleep a night for the rest of his life.

"What time is it now?"

"Twenty eight minutes to six." Lyra groaned and massaged her eye sockets, trying to get rid of the massive bags she knew were there. "Pan, if I fall asleep you'll have to wake me up."

"But if you fall asleep I'll be asleep too."

"Oh shut up."

…………….

"Six o'clock." The word was said amidst a gigantic yawn, as Ryou automatically put his hand up to his mouth. His yami had fallen asleep hours ago. Lyra had somehow summoned the energy to perform a victory dance with her daemon, who was drooping in her arms.

Malik was climbing out of his sleeping bag, the most infuriating grin imaginable on his face. "Heh. I don't think I ever slept so well in my entire life." He smirked at Ryou, who stared blearily back. "Good _morning, _Ryou!"

"Good _night,"_ the white-haired teenager mumbled. He half-fell into his blankets, eyes already closed, but Malik grabbed one end and tipped him off.

"Wakey wakey!" he said in a sing-song voice. Ryou groaned and reached pathetically for his sleeping bag, which Malik pulled away.

"Breakfast time!"

"Not…hungry…"

"Nonsense. Nothing like a bit of food inside you to wake you up. What are you going to have?"

"Nothing. Must have sleep…"

"We'll soon fix that." Malik grabbed a bucket of water which they were using for washing, and tipped it over Ryou's head. The Ring-bearer stood there in disbelief, water dripping from his sodden clothes.

"My God, I hate you."

"That's the sort of attitude I like!" Malik said cheerfully. He looked around for another bucket. Ryou took this opportunity to climb into Malik's sleeping bag, and fell instantly asleep.

Malik turned, and realised his victim had disappeared. "Ryou?" His eyes fell on his sleeping bag, which was now soaking wet. "Wha-what? You bastard!"

Ryou smiled sleepily. "That's the sort of attitude I like."

………………

A/N: I know this chapter was short (just under 3000 words) but the next chapter and the one after are the BIG ones. And by that I don't necessarily mean in length, but in content. You know, the ones which make you go 'Ohhhhhhh! So _that's_ why so-and-so happened!' So watch this space…


	16. Hidden Talent

A/N: Starting from here, the mysteries will slowly be revealed…

Oh, and in answer to a few questions: they can't use the Millennium Ring to find the alethiometer, because the Ring is sensitive to shadow energy, and can only detect the presence of Millennium Items, and only if they are reasonably near. Also, in answer as to why Bakura is able to hold Pantalaimon: (I wrote this in my draft but forgot to type it up) yamis and daemons have similarities, both being separate souls from their people. In His Dark Materials, daemons were allowed to touch each other, but not be touched by humans. Therefore it seemed fairly logical to me to assume that the yamis and daemons can freely touch each other.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything. Not Yu-gi-oh, not , not even Ryou Bakura. wistful sigh that conquest is still to come…one day.

Chapter Sixteen: Hidden Talent

Yugi reached out and chose a stick. "Long." He giggled at Malik's horrified face.

"No! I can't possible stay awake all night! I need my sleep!"

Laughing gleefully, Yugi slipped into his sleeping bag. "God, I'm tired. I think I'll go to sleep now. Good night!"

He made a few obviously fake snoring noises, and Malik let out a strangled sound. "I'll get back at you tomorrow, you…you…"

Will sighed and shook his head.

……………..

Yami Malik fidgeted in the bed within his soul room, trying to get to sleep. He wasn't tired, having managed a few hours of precious, albeit fitful, sleep the previous night, but sleep had the advantage that it was usually painless. And he was fed up with pain. It was like a mouse gnawing at his consciousness, producing a dull ache that peaked to almost blinding levels of agony. Like the other yamis he had thrown up blood at various times during the day, and his soul room was stank of blood and vomit. But unlike the other two spirits, he wouldn't have welcomed sympathy from his lighter half even if it had been offered. And it certainly hadn't.

Malik was pretty aware of how his yami had been feeling, having caught little echoes of his pain throughout the day. He wondered occasionally if he cared; whether he was so callous and cold-hearted that he could watch a part of himself dying and feel no remorse whatsoever. Then he would remember all the things his yami had done to make them hate each other in the first place, and decided that he didn't care after all. He could also now hear what little thoughts his other half had, for all the good it would do – his yami had given up on using mental barriers to make sure Malik didn't know what he was thinking, preferring to save his strength for more vital things such as living. Not that Yami Malik had had many thoughts during the past few hours. He had simply sat on the bed inside his soul room in a catatonic state, thinking and seeing nothing. (There wasn't much to think or see anyway.) He would emerge from his mental cloud every hour or so to throw up, doing so quietly and unnoticeably, and then sit back down and sink back into his stupor. At first the vomit was deposited in neat piles in the corner, as far away from himself as possible, but as it grew worse he would simply lean over the side, and so the stink around his bed grew. It nauseated him, but he didn't have the strength to do anything about it.

(Still feel like shit?) Malik didn't particularly enjoy talking to his other half, but he wasn't in the mood for communicating with Will.

((Yes.)) _What do you mean, 'still' feeling like shit? Did you think it was going to get any better? _((And excuse me while I have a heart attack. I didn't know you cared.))

(Don't flatter yourself,) Malik shot back. (I don't give a damn about what happens to you. In fact, I'm glad you're going to die.)

((Oh I know, don't worry,)) his yami murmured. ((You're just such a nice, caring person that I wouldn't expect anything less.)) Abandoning any last attempts at sleep, he pulled himself upright and sat on the bed. ((I bet the Pharaoh had a fit when he found out you were a lighter half.))

(I won't be one for much longer,) Malik answered defiantly.

((Yes, yes, I know. I suppose you think you're going to have a 'normal' life once I'm gone?))

Malik didn't say anything. The remark was too near his own thoughts to be comfortable.

((Thought as much.)) The spirit gave a low laugh. ((I know you like to think that I've fucked up your life for you. But face it hikari: stealing God cards, trying to kill the Pharaoh, running away from home…you did a pretty good job of it on your own.))

Malik clenched his fists. (Shut up.)

((Light, if I had a piastre for every time you said that, I would buy a decent broom and tidy up the shit lying around in my soul room. Maybe you could even do it for me. Seeing as you're so obsessed with cleaning and everything.))

Malik looked uncertainly at his yami's soul room door. (I hope when you used the term 'shit' it was as an adjective and not literally.)

((Obviously.)) Yami Malik's face appeared behind the bars. Then he stood aside so his hikari could see into his soul room. ((Its called 'blood,' hikari. I've been chucking the stuff up for the last couple of days, remember?))

(Yes, I'm aware of that,) Malik answered coldly. (Do you want sympathy from me? Because if so you aren't going to get it.)

His yami laughed mirthlessly. ((You don't need to tell me that, _weakling._ Save your fucking _sympathy_ for the Tomb Robber. There's been so much blood around today he'll probably get stomach ache trying to drink it all.))

(Very funny,) Malik snapped.

((Yes, I know.)) The spirit moved to the right of the door, where his other half couldn't see him. Malik felt him retch, and a second later there was a splattering sound. His yami reappeared a moment later as if nothing had happened.

((What? You've made it clear you don't care. Stop looking at me.))

Malik had felt a slight twinge at the way his yami had gone out of his line of sight before throwing up. The three yamis still had their pride, that miserable thing that stayed when everything else was gone, and he'd never seen Bakura or the Pharaoh actually being sick. They'd always gone off into the trees before doing it, and if questioned would deny anything had happened. Anything even vaguely resembling sympathy was repelled as if poisonous, and Malik felt another twinge as he'd realised he and Bakura had exchanged barely a sentence since the day had begun. Their friendship was suffering as a consequence; this intolerance of the foreign world was affecting only Bakura, and there was no way Malik could alleviate or even share his pain, as he had done so many times before. It was as if Bakura was determined to be alone, and only alone, with his pain.

Well, maybe not quite alone. Once or twice Malik had seen the Ring-spirit with Lyra's daemon on his knees or in his arms, talking quietly to him. The sight was enough to make him boil inside, and although he couldn't really explain why he felt angry with Bakura for doing it. More than that – furious. Malik didn't think of himself as a particularly jealous or possessive person, but in the old days – it made him feel uneasy as he realised how anything that had happened in his old world inevitably became thought of as 'the old days' – it was always to him that Bakura had gone to, and the two of them had always shared feelings and problems. Now it was as if Bakura was deliberately leaving him out of this. Well, maybe not _deliberately, _but the possibility that he didn't even realise how he was making Malik feel made the Egyptian even more frustrated. He knew many people didn't approve of their friendship; the Pharaoh in particular considering them to be bad influences on each other, particularly Bakura on Malik. But they were genuinely close, and when the two of them weren't busy plotting to kill the Pharaoh or open the gates of darkness, there would be many times when they just sat and talked to each other about what was on their minds. The thought that they would slowly drift away from each other, and then Bakura _dying,_ was becoming a bigger and bigger worry in Malik's mind.

(Fine, I won't look at you. Happy now?) Malik knew how childish he sounded, but his mind was too taken up with thoughts of Bakura to care.

His yami simply shrugged and, turning, sat back down on the bed. Sensing the conversation was over, Malik physically opened his eyes.

"Oooh! Stop it!" Will was laughing as Kirjava poked his armpits with her badger whiskers. "That tickles!"

Malik shrugged inwardly as he watched the black-haired boy and his daemon romp around. Will removed Kirjava from his arm with some difficulty, and she immediately wrapped herself around his neck as a polecat. It was like wearing a furry scarf, the Knife-holder mused.

Something prompted him to look up, and he saw Malik observing their antics with a strange look in his eyes, almost of indulgent amusement. Will felt embarrassed for a split second, then defensive. _Why the hell should I feel embarrassed? _Their eyes met, brown versus violet, and he didn't say anything.

Malik slowly reached into his pocket and took out the Rod. He lay it on the ground between them, the Item giving out a gentle golden flow so they could see each other properly.

"I…I just want to say I'm sorry. For stealing the knife. And for all the other things I've done."

Will was flooded with shock. He simply sat there, unsure what to say. Then, after the silence grew a bit too long, Kirjava nipped his finger smartly, bringing him back to reality.

"Ow!" He pushed his daemon away. To Malik: "Um, its okay."

Their eyes met again, and they both gave somewhat sheepish grins. Malik shuffled a bit closer, closing the gap from about two metres to a more comfortable fifty centimetres. The moon was still full, although on its way to waning, and resembled a shiny new coin, fresh out of the mint. It bathed everything in its pallid gleam. It was easy enough to see objects immediately surrounding you, largely thanks to the Millennium Rod, but any further away and everything became dark and indistinct. The time was half past eleven.

……………

It's amazing how that first smile can ease the tension between two people. After a few hesitations and a few more embarrassed sideways glances, they were chatting like re-united lost friends. A passing spectator wouldn't have believed that ten minutes ago they had been barely on nodding terms.

"Have you got any tea? I've a feeling we'll be needing a lot of it tonight."

"Yes, plenty." There was a silence while they sipped their drinks, then Will said cautiously, "Could I ask you a question?"

"I think you just have. But feel free to ask another."

"…Okay. Two, actually. Um, firstly, how the hell did you manage to use the subtle knife back in the World of the Dead? Its not supposed to work for anyone except me."

Malik considered the question. "I…don't know. Really," he added, as his companion looked disbelieving. "I…um, well when Bakura and I stole the knife, he tried to use it to open another world and couldn't. So I had a go, and…uh…I did it. I just sort of pretended I was using my Millennium Rod instead, and let my soul flow into it. I tried to use it like it was a part of me. And it worked. I still don't know why."

"Oh," Will said eventually. "…Um, secondly…" He paused, trying to decide how to phrase the question. "What country are you all from?" he burst out at last. "Because I keep trying to work it out, and I can't! You all speak English, but half the time you natter away to each other in something completely different, Chinese or something, and also the yamis sometimes use another language, and I have no idea what it is!"

Malik blinked at the outburst, fighting the temptation to laugh. "That's what you've wanted to know? All this time?"

"Well yes, among other things like what Millennium Items actually are and what this stupid Shadow Realm is that Bakura keeps threatening to send me to."

Malik gave in, making a semi-suppressed snorting sound that could just about pass for laughter. Seeing the insulted look on Will's face, he hastily stopped. "Sorry. It just seems so funny, that's all. Not that I can really laugh. I've wanted to know a few things too, actually. Like what this mysterious 'Dust' is."

"What the-where did you hear about Dust?" Will demanded.

Malik raised and lowered a shoulder. "Heard Lyra and Pan talking about it. They wouldn't tell me anything, though. It was near the beginning, when we'd only just met you. I kind of forgot about it."

Will thought for a moment. "How about you answer my questions, and then I explain to you about Dust?"

"Sure." Malik took another sip of tea. "Okay, first the nationalities. Yugi's easy – he's Japanese. But at his school he takes English as his second language, and has done for about six years, which explains why he's so good at it."

"Japanese!" Will exclaimed. Malik raised an eyebrow, and the black-haired boy said hastily, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that I never thought of that. Wow, I can't believe he's from Japan. I mean, it's a really interesting sounding country. I've always wanted to go there."

Malik shrugged. "It's not bad. Anyway, Ryou's half Japanese and half English. I think he got the English side from his mother, actually. But he's always been bilingual."

"Is it because he's Japanese that he's so pale?" Will asked curiously. "I thought Japanese people had black hair though. Speaking of which, _where_ did he get his hair? I've never seen anything like it."

Malik smiled. "It is…_different,_ isn't it? I like it though. More interesting. But he's kind of embarrassed about it. It IS natural, by the way. And you won't believe me when I say Yugi's is as well."

"No, I won't," Will said definitely. "Did he dye it? Red, black AND blond?"

"Nope. Completely natural." Malik grinned. "I sometimes find my own hair quite dull by comparison. Although everyone else finds it far stranger than Ryou's or even Yugi's. Everyone thinks I should have black hair, especially seeing as everyone else in my family does. No, wait, I think my father had blond hair." For a moment a shadow crossed his face. Then he continued, "Having dark skin doesn't help either. Some people even tell me I should dye it black, just to fit in. But I won't. I sort of like my hair. And I don't fit in anyway, so changing my hair colour won't help."

It was the first time Malik had hinted at dark events in his past, and Will pondered on this for a moment, before saying, "I'm guessing you're not from Japan, judging from the fact that you're so dark."

"Me? Japanese?" Malik seemed to find the idea amusing. "Certainly not. I was born in Egypt."

"Cool."

The blond teenager smiled, revealing even white teeth. "And that means I can speak Arabic, (which is my first language), Japanese, from being taught by my tutor, and English, at my sister's insistence. So I get by in most countries."

"Arabic," Will repeated slowly. "So is that what the yamis speak then? Why?"

"They speak any language their lighter halves do as well. But Bakura and Yugi's yami know Arabic because in their last incarnations they lived in Egypt." Malik had carefully steered clear of mentioning his own yami. "_Ancient_ Egypt, by the way. Not in my time. About three thousand years ago. And Bakura was a tomb robber and Yugi's yami was a pharaoh, in case you haven't already gathered."

Will nodded. "That's why they don't like each other much, right? A tomb robber and a pharaoh don't sound like the sort of people who would get on."

"Yes, that's partly why. But also because they have…different ideas on how lighter halves should be treated. Or at least they did have. I guess Bakura cares about Ryou now. Though not in that way."

"Okay." Will poured himself another cup of tea. "Now, what exactly is the Shadow Realm?"

Malik groaned. "Trust you to pick the harder question. I'd rather try and explain exactly who Ra is then tell you all about the Shadow Realm. Although I'll try." He took a deep breath. "Well-"

Suddenly they were pitched into darkness. The Millennium Rod had abruptly stopped giving out light, and as for the moon- Will craned his neck skywards and hissed between his teeth as he saw it was suffocated by thick _purple smoke._ "Jesus Christ," he breathed.

There was the distant sound of approaching footsteps, and his whole body turned cold.

"Malik?" he whispered.

There were scrabbling noises, and then a faint glow appeared from the Millennium Rod as it was snatched up by a dark hand. A second later Malik's face loomed out of the darkness next to him, purple eyes wide.

"Ra save us…" he whispered.

"I don't think he will," Will told him, uncertain as to whether he was being serious or not. "Do you know what-"

His words died in his throat as a blinding white light flooded the field. Both teenagers instinctively threw up an arm to protect their eyes, the brilliantly intense flash leaving red lights dancing in their vision. When they lowered their arms, several moments later, it was to find a figure standing in front of them. On seeing who it was, Will let out a terrified yelp, and Malik shrieked a torrent of hysterical sounding Arabic phrases.

The two teenagers shook awake the rest of their group, eyes never leaving that figure.

"Wake up, damn you!" Malik screamed, shaking Yugi so hard the teenager woke up thinking he'd been attacked.

"Wha-_Malik?_"

"Get up! Help me wake up the others!" He was still speaking in Arabic, but didn't seem to realise. Fortunately Yami was also awake, and quickly translated. Yugi shot upright.

Will reflected briefly that in moments of great distress or shock, people in foreign countries often reverted to their native language, as the Egyptian was doing now. He roused Lyra, and Kirjava was tugging at Pantalaimon wrapped around her neck.

As one, the group huddled together and edged slowly backwards.

A white haired adolescent was slouched against a tree just in front of them. His eyes glowed blood-red and he was smiling eerily, purple-black flames flickering casually around his outline. The Millennium Ring hung dully around his neck; and as he pushed himself away from the tree and walked towards them, a slinking, ominous walk like a wolf stalking its prey; a nonchalant backwards flick of his fingers caused the tree to crackle and burst into flames.

A shuddering burst of shadow energy broke the spell, as the group dodged it. The figure threw back his head and laughed, a grating sound like nails on glass. "Scare easily, don't you? Fools. I could have killed you all in your sleep a thousand times by now." His voice was somewhere between Bakura's and Yami Malik's, an uneasy mix of the two.

Behind them, the Maneater Bug was wrecking devastation on their camp. Obeying a wordless command from its master, it suddenly stopped what it was doing and scuttled greedily towards the teenagers, acid dripping corrosively from its jaws.

"Bakura's gone crazy…" Yugi wailed. Like the others, he was stepping back in an attempt to get away from the hungry Duel Monster.

"Ahou!" Malik hissed. His violet eyes were focused not on the Maneater Bug, but on it's master. "It can't be Bakura. He's spent the whole day throwing up; he couldn't possible have the strength to do this. Which means it must be…"

"No way," Yugi said disbelievingly. "…And who are you calling a fool anyway?"

"Will you two _stop arguing_ and find a way to get rid of that thing?" Will demanded. He eyed the Duel Monster nervously as it closed in on them.

"It only has 450 attack points," Yugi informed anyone who was listening. "That's really weak. Ryou has far stronger monsters than that in his deck."

"Oh I'm _so_ sorry for making such a fuss then," Malik said sarcastically. "Why don't you ask him to bring out a stronger one so we can all die a bit quicker?"

Ryou snickered. "Well if that's what you want then I'll be happy to comply." He reached into his pocket. Seconds later Headless Knight and Earl of Demise appeared in a whirl of purple smoke, the former welding a heavy and very capable-looking axe.

"Kill them all. Make it slow."

"This just gets better and better," Will said conversationally. "Is he always like this at home?"

"Could you stop the wisecracks already?" Malik snapped. "I don't know if you've realised this or not but these thing aren't _holograms, _they're _real._ And more than capable of tearing us apart!"

"…Oh."

"He's sleep-walking," Lyra said suddenly.

Three pairs of eyes slowly turned and stared at her. _"What?"_ Will asked.

"He's sleep-walking. I don't know why I didn't see it before. He's probably dreaming right at this very moment. And he almost certainly doesn't know what he's doing."

"Well that makes everything so much better," Yugi said happily. The other three glared exasperatedly at him.

"So what does this mean?" Malik asked slowly. ""What do we do with him? Can we wake him up? And how the hell did he manage to do all this stuff anyway? Being asleep doesn't explain that."

The Puzzle around Yugi's neck glowed, and he grew taller. "Waking up people who are sleepwalking isn't supposed to be a good idea. And you know, you _do_ have a little thing called a Millennium Rod in your pocket which is supposed to read and control minds. Hasn't it occurred to you to use that yet?"

Malik blinked. "…Ah, yes, well, you see I was just coming to that-"

"Shut up already and use it then," the Pharaoh said tersely.

"I am, I am." Malik hastily tugged his Item out of his pocket and pointed it at Ryou. Ryou, I have no idea what you're on, but I want you to stop. Right now. 

They all waited.

Ryou merely laughed, and gestured at the three Duel Monsters. They moved smoothly into a triangle, surrounding the group.

"Why…why didn't it work?" Will whispered.

"I don't know…"

Yami made an impatient noise. "For Ra's sake, do I have to do everything?" He pulled his deck out. "I summon Dark Magician!"

The monster appeared, and gave them all a comforting smile before slicing the Maneater Bug in half. It vanished in a shower of sparks.

As if knowing they weren't strong enough to win, the other two monsters cringed and spread outwards, backing away. The magician ran after them, sword held high, and moments later they too were vanquished. It then turned towards Ryou, but hesitated, sword faltering. Ryou surveyed it coolly, before shaking his head very slightly. At once the Dark Magician dropped to the ground and bowed before him, then Ryou held out a blank card and the monster vanished. He looked up, and grinned fiendishly.

Yami's jaw dropped open. "What the…he just stole my Dark Magician!"

Ryou grinned again and waved the card infuriatingly. It now had an image of Yami's monster on the front. The spirit made a strangled sound as Ryou carefully shuffled the card into his Occult deck. He then looked up, and his expression became more thoughtful. His eyes roved over the group for a moment, and a smile stretched over his face as black smoke surrounded them.

………….

It only took their eyes a few seconds to adjust to their new surroundings, at which point Yami and Malik simultaneously uttered the word, "Damn!"

"Where are we?" Will enquired.

"This," Malik indicated their environment with a vague sweep of his arm, "is the famous Shadow Realm I was going to tell you about."

"And what exactly is it?"

"Exactly? Well, the truth is that no one knows. But it isn't a good place to be. Duel Monsters are rumoured to have come from here, although I don't know whether that's true or not." He looked up and saw Ryou was standing in front of them. "Oh Ra, not you again."

The Ring-bearer gave a demented snicker, wreaths of shadow-fire caressing his body. His crimson eyes closed momentarily and a duelling arena rose up from the smoke, of which great billows were rolling around their feet. It gave the impression they were standing in a cloud, albeit a purple one, and the fog hovering sluggishly in the air clouded their line of vision, making it hard to see clearly. Despite this, the violet mist wrapped around the arena marked out the boundaries of their prison all too clearly. It was in the shape of a rectangle, with the duelling area taking up most of the space and just enough room at the edges to walk around it.

"Now he wants to duel?" Yami said in disbelief.

Ryou gave an indulgent smile, and made a tearing gesture with his hands. As soon as he had done this Yugi appeared, and the rest of the group could tell from the look on his face that the splitting off hadn't been voluntary.

"He-he made me split off! How did he do that?"

Shrugs answered this remark.

Lights suddenly crackled into life above them, showing their lifepoints: Ryou: 4000 Yugi: 4000 Malik: 4000. The digits glowed crimson, and the ooze-like quality of their surface gave the numbers the appearance of dripping blood.

"Why does he want to duel?" Lyra asked in confusion. "He could duel any of you whenever he wants. Why go to all of this trouble just to duel you?"

Malik stared at Ryou, and the teenager gave an unsettling smile. "Are you sure that's all I want from you?" He ran a finger lightly over his throat.

………………

A/N: There were a lot more mysteries and a lot less explaining here than I planned…oh well. I promise everything gets cleared up, one way or another, in the next chapter. It definitely won't be a straight-forward duel. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, anyway. Think of this as a murder mystery: you now have the _what, _and next chapter you get the _how, _and the _why._


	17. A Hikari's Revenge

A/N: The mindlessness continues…and plenty of it. This is my longest chapter so far, and I think possibly my best. Took me an age to type up, so I really _would_ appreciate it if you reviewed. Although this chapter features a duel, it isn't the main event, and the characters themselves aren't very concerned with it until later on. I myself dislike the entire duelling aspect of Yu-gi-oh, and I only included a duel because the story seemed to go naturally towards one. Also, I find it acts as a sort of backbone, something which is always there in the background and which the characters find slightly reassuring because it is the only constant thing happening, and it is something they can return to, something to draw their minds back to reality. I tried to explain the events of the duel clearly, for the benefit of those who aren't too familiar with how duelling happens in Yu-gi-oh.

Oh, and in answer to questions asked/things to be cleared up: when Yami Malik says that it is all Malik's fault that his life is 'fucked up' because he did things like running away from home, etc. keep in mind that Yami Malik set everything off by killing Malik's father. Shadi then came along and told Malik that 'it is the will of the Pharaoh' so Malik runs away and starts Operation The Pharaoh Will Die. That's basically what happened, anyway.

In answer to other questions: yes, this is a three-person duel. Malik and Yugi verses Ryou. To make up for the fact that Ryou is outnumbered, the turns go as follows – Ryou, Yugi, Ryou, Malik. More explanations will follow at the end.

Warnings: Mucho bad lingo, violence, psychotic hikaris.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Fasten your seatbelts, all Malik and Bakura fans, it's going to be a bumpy ride...

Chapter Seventeen: A Hikari's Revenge

For a moment there was only an uneasy silence. Then Will whispered, "I don't understand. How…how can he do this?" He was staring avidly at Ryou. "I…I thought only spirits could do this sort of thing. You know, shadow powers or whatever you call it. How can he do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," Malik answered him.

Yami shrugged, an un-Pharaoh like gesture. "What is there to know? It seems there can only be two possible explanations to me. It could just be the Tomb Robber playing around. Just because the Ring isn't glowing doesn't mean it isn't him doing all this."

"It can't be Bakura," Malik said with certainty. "And I'm not just saying that because he's my friend," he added defensively, as Lyra shot him a disbelieving glance. "He's in worse condition than the Pharaoh. He'd never be strong enough to do this."

"What's the other possibility?" Will asked quietly.

The spirit hesitated. "Its so ludicrous I hardly want to suggest it."

"What?" Malik asked sharply.

"He…he could have been born like that. With shadow powers. Its not totally impossible."

"But we've known Ryou for more than three years," Yugi interjected. "No way could he have managed to keep them hidden from us for all that time."

"He might not have known about them. Things like that sometimes wait until you're older before surfacing. Not to mention that if he'd used them at all the Tomb Robber would find out. They might just have been…buried all this time."

"So how could they come out? And why now?"

"It's possible he could have been mentally suppressing them all this time. Without realising, obviously. But they might have chosen to come out now because his strong emotions and the fact that he was asleep meant his mental guard fell."

"What sort of strong emotions?"

"Fear. For the Tomb Robber. Or of him. And possibly anger."

Yugi made a dismissive sound. "Aibou, Ryou never gets angry."

"Exactly. It's the quiet ones you always have to watch out for. The ones who bottle up their feelings, never letting them out. Until one day they can't take it any more."

"My Ra," Malik whispered. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"That is one way of putting it, yes."

"Are you finished analysing me yet?" came a bored voice. "Because if so, I would like to duel you _today._"

Timidly, Lyra said in a hushed voice, "I…think you should do as he says. I'm not trying to be a wimp or anything but I don't think you should make him angry. He might hurt you."

__

"Might?" Ryou echoed. He gave a demonic smile. "Weakling, you and the rest of your friends are going to get hurt whether I get angry or not. The only question is who will get hurt first."

Yami raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Yugi said quietly to Malik, "You know who he's starting to remind me of? The other you."

The Egyptian gazed at the ground as if he hadn't heard.

Noticing the way Ryou was tapping his foot on the ground, Will pointedly nudged Malik, who looked up and gave a resigned sort of shrug.

"Fine, lets just get on with this." He and Yugi took their places behind the podiums and waited.

"Oh, one last thing." Yami's voice was very casual. "Try and win quickly. As this is a shadow game, every lifepoint lost is going to feel like hell."

"Thanks so much for the encouraging advice," Malik said in an undertone.

The smoke behind him swirled upwards, and then formed into the shape of three chairs. Will fought the urge to laugh at this as he sat down. "At least he doesn't expect us to stand around."

"Allow me to correct you," Ryou said silkily. "I don't expect you to be capable of standing once I've finished with you."

This remark effectively killed what was left of their optimism.

Ryou placed his deck in position, while indicating Malik and Yugi should do the same. They all drew five cards, and Ryou started his turn by drawing a sixth one.

"So, what actually happens in a duel?" Will said suddenly. The loudness of his voice caused Malik and Yugi to turn around and stare at him for a moment. "I mean, is it the same as when Yugi showed me at the inn or do you do it differently?"

He received blank looks in answer. "What…what do you mean?" Malik said uncertainly. To him and Yugi, playing Duel Monsters was part of their lives. They'd forgotten how strange it looked to an outsider.

Yami explained. "We use holograms to give the monsters the illusion of reality. To add to this, the concept of having lifepoints to show your score is tied in with your real energy. This is especially appropriate when turning the safety settings off on a duel disk, which is like a portable arena so you can have a duel anywhere, or when the duel takes place in the Shadow Realm. In other words, the more lifepoints you lose the weaker you feel. This is generally accompanied by pain, usually spiritual."

"Sounds fun," Lyra commented sardonically.

"Actually, it's extremely popular back in our world."

"Fine."

Yami's attention turned back to Ryou, who had set two cards face down and was waiting silently. "Aibou, I think it's your turn."

"Oh. Okay." Sounding slightly confused, Yugi drew. (Aibou, you'll help me, right? We always duel together.)

((Of course I will.)) His lighter half adjusted the way he was holding his hand so that Yami could see the cards too. He didn't really feel like getting up, and was quite content just to sit in his chair and watch. Ryou was giving off so much excess shadow-power that it was making Yami a little stronger, just for now, and he could even feel his own powers beginning to return. They hadn't exactly _left,_ but before he hadn't had the strength to use them.

Feeling strange duelling without his Dark Magician, Yugi decided to summon its female counterpart - the aptly named Dark Magician Girl. She smiled at him, twirling her staff easily in one hand.

__

Ryou's certainly making these monsters realistic, Yami thought. _It makes Kaiba's Duel Disks look like children's toys._

"Attack the face-down card!" Yugi indicated the one on the left.

Ryou flipped it over to reveal Earthbound Spirit, and the monster rose up to counter the magician's blow. It had 2000 defence points, the same as Dark Magician Girl's attack, and so it was a draw. No losses for either side. At least, not for now.

Coolly, the monster was tributed to summon the Dark Ruler Ha Des, and the grotesque monster leered at Yugi before lashing out, sending him staggering back. Yami was out of his seat and beside his other half in an instant.

"Aibou?"

"I…I'm fine." Yugi was trembling in his arms. "That h-hurt."

…………..

Ryou: 4000 Yugi: 3550 Malik: 4000

…………..

"It's called pain," a familiar didactic and somewhat condescending voice said.

Malik looked round uncertainly, recognising the voice yet scarcely able to believe he could be here. "Bakura?"

"The one and only." The spirit looked at his other half, then at the ground, then his eyes flicked yet again to Ryou.

"Why did you take so long to appear on the scene?"

"Actually, I've been trying to split off for the last ten minutes," the spirit shot back. "But Ryou kept holding me back. I only succeeded just now because he was laughing so hard at the pain the Pharaoh's Pet was in that he let his mental guard down."

Will looked up, and saw with a shiver that Ryou was sniggering silently. "My God. I can't believe _Ryou_ is doing something like this. He's normally so nice."

Malik agreed. "I know what you mean. Hell, Bakura, Ryou's acting like you when you duel. You must be rubbing off on him."

Bakura glared at him, unamused. "Are you implying that I approve of this?"

Startled by the venom in his voice, Malik answered, "No, of course not."

"You'd better not be. I'm fully aware this is all my fault, so there's no need for anyone else to rub it in."

"You're not blaming yourself just because Ryou happens to be a part of you, are you?" Lyra questioned. "Because I don't see how all this is your fault."

"Oh really?" the spirit retorted. "Isn't it obvious?" He clenched his fists. "Ryou's sleepwalking because he has all these conflicting emotions and he doesn't feel that he can confide in anyone about them. Not Yugi, not the Pharaoh, not Malik, not me. _Especially_ not me."

"I see what you mean about it always being the quiet ones," Will said to Yami. The Puzzle-spirit merely shrugged.

Pantalaimon had jumped into Bakura's arms, a look of understanding on his face. "This is because you hurt him before, isn't it?" he whispered.

The spirit hesitated before giving a reluctant nod. "What am I supposed to do?" he murmured fiercely. "I can't stop him. No one can."

Pan licked his face as Bakura sat down in another chair, signs of his inner struggle clearly visible on his face. The daemon rolled onto his back, all four legs waving hopefully in the air. Bakura sighed and tickled his stomach with a slender finger, slightly mollified. "You know what he's dreaming right at this very moment? That I'm hurting him." He clutched the puppy-daemon to him like a favourite toy.

Malik growled softly and averted his eyes.

On the other side of the duelling field, Ryou snickered. "Aw, you feeling left out, Malik?"

Everyone looked slowly up. Ryou was grinning maliciously, even as he mentally reached out and began to look into the Egyptian's mind. "Its all here, you know. I can read you like a book, Malik. How do you like that, hmm?" His grin widened. "Tut tut, yami, you _do_ treat your friends badly. Poor Malik here thinks you don't like him anymore. He thinks you prefer Pantalaimon. How sweet. He's _jealous._"

__

"Get out of my head!" Malik screamed. He backed away, clutching his head, and somehow met Bakura's eyes. The spirit was staring at him in total shock, seeing him in a new light.

"Am…am I really like that?" he whispered.

"It d-doesn't matter. Shut up."

"My Ra…" Bakura dropped Pantalaimon like a lead weight. The next moment he had picked him up again, holding him forgotten in one hand, as he stared at Malik. "Why…why didn't you tell me…?"

"Fuck off." The Egyptian avoided his eyes. "Summon Drillago. And set a card face down." He shoved the cards in place with barely restrained violence, hands shaking. He couldn't explain why but at that moment he _hated_ Bakura with every part of his body.

"Someone's getting _angry…_" Ryou chanted in a singsong voice.

This time it was Bakura who said it. "Ryou, _shut up!"_

A smile. "Of course, my dear yami. Anything you say." He drew. "Dark Ruler Ha Des, direct attack!"

Yugi let out a terrified sound and shrank away from the forthcoming blow. In a sudden moment of conscience, Malik flipped over his face down card. "Activate Holding Arms!"

Ryou's monster let out an angry snarl as it was encased in arm-shaped ropes, paralysing it. With a grateful smile at Malik, Yugi summoned King's Knight, and hid it under one of three Magical Hats.

Ryou shrugged at this, and brought onto the field none other than Yugi's Dark Magician, accompanying the action with another provocative smirk. As if to show his opinion of Malik protecting Yugi, he directed the monster at the Egyptian's Drillago. Malik gasped and clutched his arm, feeling as if someone had slashed it down to the bone. He now didn't blame Yugi's reaction. The Pharaoh had been right: every lifepoint felt like a searing wound.

………

Ryou: 4000 Yugi: 3550 Malik: 3100

……….

Ryou had also set a card face down. Malik eyed it suspiciously through the ringing in his head. A trap? Or just a bluff? After thinking for a moment, he used his newly-drawn card, Rope of Life, to bring back Yugi's Dark Magician Girl with an extra 800 attack points, and attacked his opponent's monster.

"Activate trap!" Ryou proclaimed in obvious delight. "Fearful Earthbound!"

Yet Dark Magician howled and vanished. Malik's confusion increased. What had the trap achieved?

His question was answered as his own lifepoints went _down_ and Ryou's went _up._ "What?" he whispered. The words choked in his throat as more pain washed over him.

………..

Ryou: 4200 Yugi: 3550 Malik: 2600

………..

"It's a continuous trap," a subdued voice said next to him. "Every time you attack him your lifepoints decrease by 500, and every time he loses a monster he gains 500 points."

"Oh." Malik looked around and saw Bakura standing next to him. His eyes were downcast, but as the Egyptian looked at him he met his eyes hesitatingly.

"He…he also has Premature Burial in his hand," he whispered haltingly. His tone carried a clear, if tentative, note of apology. "It's a bit like Monster Reborn. And he also has Puppet Master, and Portrait's Secret."

"Thank you," Malik said stiffly. He wasn't sure if he was quite ready to fully forgive Bakura yet.

"I…I'm sorry," the spirit whispered. "For…you know. Forgetting about you."

Malik tried his hardest to retain some vestige of his original anger, but Bakura had that expression on his face which Ryou was so good at, those damn puppy eyes. And his expression was tragic, mouth pulled down at the corners, and he did look genuinely sorry. The Egyptian sighed.

"Stupid bastard." He gave his friend an awkward hug, as best as he could do while holding his cards in one hand.

"I-I'll help you beat him," Bakura said quietly. "I can look through his eyes and see his hand. And I might be able to read his mind."

"Just as long as he doesn't hurt you."

"I'll be fine." Bakura seemed to be regaining a little of his old confidence. Turning to Yugi, he said, "Your magical hats won't work. Its almost like he's telepathic. He can sense which one the monster is hiding under."

The light nodded, looking grim. "Thanks."

Malik stared slowly at his cards. "End turn."

Ryou drew.

"He likes the Dark Magician," the spirit said suddenly. "I think he's going to revive it. Then attack-"

__

"Fuck you!" Ryou screamed. _"You cheating bastard! Do I have to rip your fucking head off to get you to shut up?" _His voice, tinged with shadow-fire, roared insanely around their minds.

For a minute there was only shocked silence. Then Bakura whispered in what sounded like a whimper, "…Oh my Ra. He's gone crazy."

"Yes." Yami's voice was slow, almost thoughtful. "I think he has."

"You think so?" Ryou breathed. His voice, before so out of control, was now quiet, soft, reasonable. The contrast was enough to make the group shudder. "What is insanity? It's just a title, a state of mind. A damning way of degrading those who are different. Those who have _power."_

"Now he's a megalomaniac?" Bakura murmured, in a tone so quiet none could hear him. "Make up your mind, Ryou."

"You never know when to shut up, do you?" Ryou said softly.

"No, I guess not."

__

"Shut the fuck up **now!"**

When the spirit shrugged, Ryou lost it completely. An immense blast of shadow-power hurled itself at Bakura, who only stared in disbelief. The old Bakura would have dodged it almost without thinking, but the spirit's reflexes were slowing with the waning of his strength and he just stood there.

Moments before he would have been blasted into oblivion, Yami made an impatient noise and, seizing his wrist, pulled him to one side. Instead of striking him square in the chest, the beam just grazed his side as it hurtled past. It struck the ground with a colossal explosion, and a smoking hole erupted.

Both yamis simply stood there, shocked by the force of the blow. Feeling as if he were in a dream, Bakura managed to stammer out, "Th-thanks Pharaoh."

Yami sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He touched the other spirit's side cautiously, and his fingers came away red. "Did he get you?"

Bakura winced, but attempted a careless shrug. "Its barely a scratch." He carefully peeled up his shirt and looked at the livid crimson stripe down his ribs in perfect indifference.

"'Kura, if that's what you call a scratch I'd hate to see what you'd consider a 'real wound.'" Malik came over to him, and Bakura gave a smile at the concern written on his face.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." He gave another smile, with an obvious effort. "Now back you go. You have a duel to win."

Personally, Malik was starting to think that if they survived the duel in one piece it would be an astounding achievement enough, never mind trying to win.

Ryou revived Dark Magician with his Premature Burial card, just as his yami had predicted he would. Staring intently at Yugi's three magical hats, he closed his eyes. A moment later they opened again, and he pointed calmly at the one on the left. _"Attack!"_

Yami clutched his lighter half in his arms as he shook, making tiny unconscious sounds of distress. "Sssh, aibou. Its okay."

………

Ryou: 3600 Yugi: 2650 Malik: 2600

………

Yugi straightened, and everyone saw his face was pale and frightened. (Why do we have to do this?) he whispered fiercely.

((Don't worry. I'll help you duel.))

"The fuck you will," Ryou sneered. "Pharaoh, I can hear what you two are saying, and you make even one suggestion as to how he plays and I'll trap you in here for the rest of your eternal life. We'll see how well your little _pet_ plays after that happens."

"Shut up," Yami said clearly.

"Speak to me like that again and I'll trap him here instead of you."

The spirit clenched his fists, eyes burning, before falling silent.

Ryou smiled at this, before setting another card facedown and ending his turn.

Out of nowhere a new person appeared next to Malik, who looked at him in loathing but said nothing.

Bakura also noticed the additional presence. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Watching," Yami Malik said promptly. "I can get a better view from here." He giggled. "Heh, this is funny, Tomb Robber. Your hikari's gone crazy."

"Fuck off," Bakura snapped. "I can only deal with one psycho at a time."

Ryou gave a devious smile. "Yami, you've made a point. Would you like me to get rid of one for you?"

Yami Malik suddenly let out a strangled sound and clutched his head. "Ow! Get off me!"

Ryou was laughing in obvious glee. "You may not be the only person who thinks I'm crazy, although that's a bit rich coming from you. But I'd much rather be crazy than _weak."_

The spirit twitched. "I'm not weak."

Another laugh, raucous and twisted. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've heard in a long time. Look at yourself. You're not even strong enough to _try_ and fight me."

Yami Malik closed his eyes as Ryou pushed harder, and the pressure inside his cranium increased.

"How does it feel being _weak?_ Go on, tell me. I'm interested. _Psycho."_

Translucent flames flickered around the yami as he summoned the last dregs of his shadow powers in a desperate attempt to make Ryou leave him alone. But the teenager merely laughed.

"_That's_ the best you can do? Pathetic."

He squeezed even more, and the flames around Yami Malik vanished as his shadow powers failed, rendering him completely defenceless. Now it was just a frightened child staring back at Ryou. The spirit's fantasy worlds had crumbled away along with his powers, forcing him to accept the cruel reality of the situation.

Ryou released him, scorn vibrating in every syllable of his sentences. "How could anyone be afraid of _you?_ Without your shadow powers you're nothing. Come to think of it, you aren't much _with_ them either."

Purple black flames rose up in front of the spirit, assuming the vague figures and images of his hallucinations, the nightmares from his dreams. They rippled towards him like fire on oil, gliding along the ground.

__

"Run, little psycho," Ryou whispered softly. _"Run as fast as you can."_

Yami Malik let out a terrified shriek and backed away, hitting the edge of the section of Shadow Realm Ryou had summoned. He clawed desperately at it. "Let me out!"

Ryou snorted with laughter as the wraith-like beings floated irrepressibly towards the petrified spirit.

"Come on. Lets play. I want to try and kill you. You may be immortal but you aren't indestructible."

The yami fled to his soul room. He breathed a shuddering sigh of relief, which morphed into a scream as a transparent Ryou appeared in his soul room. _You can't get away that easily._ He gave a high pitched giggle, imitating the way the spirit had used to do it.

(Yami?) Malik's voice floated uncertainly over to him.

__

((Get that crazy little thing away from me!))

Ryou laughed and vanished. The spirit waited until certain he was gone, then nearly collapsed with relief.

Outside, everyone saw Ryou's form, which had previously been slightly translucent, become solid again. "I'll let him go for now. Malik, tell the _Psycho_ I'll get him tomorrow. It'll be fun."

The Egyptian shuddered.

"Don't you like what I did to him? Aren't you supposed to hate him?"

Malik wanted to say, _I hate him but I wouldn't wish something like what just happened on anyone, not even him._ But he stayed silent, and Ryou's eyes narrowed even further, crimson slits in his white face.

"No? Pity. After all, what happened to him was really a premonition of your own fate. And I don't intend to let _you_ go."

Malik _really_ didn't like the sound of this. He stared nervously back at Ryou who looked away, having lost interest in him. For now.

"Pharaoh, is your pet intending to continue taking part in this duel or not? I seem to recall it being his turn."

Yami growled softly and gently nudged his lighter half. Yugi drew, shakily, and slid a card under one of the two remaining magical hats.

Ryou selected the one which had previously been in the centre, and again it was the right one. The hat tipped upwards and the Dark Monster Ha Des collided with Big Shield Gardna.

Will looked taken aback. "…Why did he attack if his monster wasn't powerful enough to defeat yours?" His question was directed at Yugi, but it was Bakura who answered it.

"I think he can probably sense the energy the monster is giving off, and so can tell which hat it is under. But he doesn't know how strong it is." Ryou glared venomously at him, and the spirit swallowed. "I'll just shut up now."

"You do that." Ryou's tone was very controlled, very quiet.

"He attacked a monster in defence mode, so he didn't lose his own monster, only a few lifepoints." Yami's tone was also controlled, but with a visible effort. "And remember Fearful Earthbound? If he does lose his monster he'll gain 500 lifepoints."

"Oh." Will sounded almost subdued. "Then its quite a good card, isn't it?"

"Yes, for a trap card. But all trap cards can be vulnerable. We need to hope they draw a 'Remove Trap' card, or similar."

"They won't," Ryou stated coldly. He indicated his other monster on the field: the Dark Magician. "Attack Big Shield Gardna!"

Yugi gave something that was almost a satisfied grin, and revealed his face down card. "Activate Swords of Revealing Light!"

Will and Lyra gave an involuntarily gasp as the field was flooded with light.

"What does that card do?" Lyra questioned. "Apart from brighten the place up, I mean."

"It means that Ryou can't attack for three turns," Malik explained. He was feeling the first faint flicker of hope, a slight feeling that told him maybe they could win after all.

………

Ryou: 3500 Yugi: 2650 Malik: 2600

………

"As good as that may be, remember that _you two_ still can't attack _him._ Not unless your monster has more than 500 more attack points. Otherwise you're just giving him more lifepoints." Bakura's words had the effect of cooling the excitement somewhat. "Or unless you draw a 'Remove Trap.'"

Trying to bear this in mind, Malik drew. The card, however, wasn't the one the two spirits had mentioned. Damn. He was sure he had a 'Remove Trap' somewhere in his deck.

"Dark Magician Girl, attack Dark Magician!"

"I never thought I'd be pleased to see Dark Magician destroyed," Yami mused.

"It isn't the _proper_ Dark Magician," Yugi said stubbornly. "Ryou took it. And anyway, it doesn't _look_ like the Dark Magician. It's all…weird."

He had a point. The Duel Monster had a sinister, twisted smile on its face quite different from usual, and there was something warped about its eyes. They glowed with the same fiendish blood-red as Ryou's did.

It vanished in a shower of rainbow sparks, howling. Malik placed a card facedown and ended his turn.

Ryou drew, and instantly a wide smile appeared on his face as he looked at the card. Like the Dark Magician, the expression was distorted, deformed from the innocent smile they all knew.

"I think he drew a good card," Bakura mumbled unnecessarily.

"I think he just _lost_ a good card," Malik corrected with a grin. He flipped over his facedown card. "Activate Muko!"

Ryou looked up, his gaze questioning.

"Discard the card you just drew," the Egyptian said in satisfaction.

His opponent looked surprised. More than that: astonished. He looked at Malik as if querying whether he was sure, his eyes flicking from his new card to the Egyptian, then back to his card. Then, instead of withering and shrivelling up like a dry, dying flower, the grin spread even further across his face. Before sending the card to the graveyard, he turned the card up and briefly showed it to them. It was Dark Necrophia.

Malik, Bakura and Yami swore in unison, Arabic curses filling the air. When Yugi said nothing they looked at him expectantly, awaiting his reaction. Yugi's reply was to look mildly astonished. "Oh no. Fancy that happening."

Bakura looked as if he wanted to throttle him. Unfortunately the Pharaoh was in the way. "You…are you _incapable_ of uttering obscenities?"

Yugi blinked several times. Hesitantly: "I don't really know. I don't think I've ever tried."

"Oh for the love of Ra!" Bakura now looked on the verge of having a spasm. "Say something you consider impolite. Anything. 'Fuck' will do." He was watching him closely.

"F-F-" Yugi made a few stammering attempts and gave up. "Um, fack?"

"Pharaoh, stand aside."

"Look, if he doesn't want to-"

"It's for his own good."

"What good will it do for him learning to swear?"

__

"You do it."

"That's different. I'm a dark half. I'm allowed to."

__

"Malik swears," Bakura expelled triumphantly. _"And_ he's a hikari."

"That doesn't matter. We all gave up on Malik years ago."

"Hey!"

Bakura suddenly grinned. "I like that. The Pharaoh has a sense of humour after all. Face it Malik, you're nothing more than a wannabe yami."

"I should kill you for saying that."

Yami was trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. "You know, we're all inches away for being trapped in the Shadow Realm and all we can do is stand around and discuss how Malik is a wannabe yami."

"Well if you come to it, _you're _practically a wannabe hikari," Bakura said thoughtfully. "The way you fuck your light and everything-"

__

"Change of subject!" Yami said hurriedly. "Where were we with this duel?"

Bakura gave him a teasing look. "Seems like _someone's _in denial."

"Be quiet, commoner."

"Whatever. Anyway, this wannabe so-and-so stuff is getting a bit boring. Where were we? Ah yes. Malik fucked up."

"I didn't _mean _to," the Egyptian protested defensively. "How was I supposed to know he would draw that card?"

"I'm not blaming you." Bakura responded absently, his mind turning back to the duel. "And of course, with Dark Necrophia sleeping in the grave, you reveal field magic card Dark Sanctuary…"

"Coming right up," Ryou said sarcastically.

"So what does this thing do?" Will asked, gulping as the field turned even darker and hundreds of lid-less eyes appeared, all glaring at them.

"The Tomb Robber can tell you," Yami said. "I don't know all of Dark Necrophia's special effects."

"It means Ryou can play up to ten magic cards on the field at a time." The humour had completely vanished from Bakura's voice. "It also means that the Resentment Spirit is floating around our side of the field, possessing a different monster each turn. If you attack with the possessed monster, the attack is cancelled and it loses half of its attack points, which are directed back at you. It also hurts like hell."

"But if you chose a monster which isn't possessed, it attacks as normal?" Will questioned.

"It would, if Fearful Earthbound is got rid of. Ryou can see which monster is being possessed each go, but no one else can. And if he has a card called 'Dark Spirit of the Silent' in his hand, it allows him to change which monster the Resentment Spirit possesses, if his opponent tries to attack him with an unpossessed monster."

Lyra stared. "Is there any way of beating it?"

"Drawing 'De-spell' would work, if either of them have that card. Or 'Monster Reborn,' to raise Dark Necrophia. But until that happens…" The spirit didn't bother ending his sentence.

Ryou ended his turn.

Yugi reached out to draw.

((Trust in the heart of the cards, aibou.))

He nodded.

"I wasn't _helping_ him," Yami added coolly to Ryou.

The teenager shrugged. "I know that. I also fail to see how that cliché can possibly be of help to anyone. But no matter. _Please _don't let me distract you." He gestured disdainfully to Yugi's deck. "Now hurry up and draw. I'm getting old here."

Bakura let out a snorting sound. Yami looked at him strangely. "What are you on?"

"Nothing. It was funny, that was all."

Ryou smiled eerily at him. "I'm glad you liked my sense of humour, dear yami of mine. You'll like it even more once I show you what I have in store for you."

Bakura abruptly stopped laughing. "What?"

Ryou's voice turned mocking. _"Why should I tell you what I am going to do? You'll enjoy it more if it's a surprise."_

The spirit shifted slightly, uncomfortable. Malik was also looking uneasy.

However, instead of enlightening them further Ryou simply looked at Yugi, his blood-tinged eyes glowing in the darkness. "You planning to draw?"

"Yes," the Puzzle-holder mumbled. He did so, and smiled, the expression lighting up the duelling area like a sunbeam. "I play Remove Trap!"

The group grinned broadly as Ryou's Fearful Earthbound vanished to the Graveyard. Ryou looked furious. Yugi then changed his Big Shield Gardna to defence mode and summoned Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts.

"End turn."

An expression of annoyance visible on his visage, Ryou summoned Terrifying Goblin Zombie and sacrificed it to Dark Necrophia. He was obliged to tribute one of his monsters to her each turn, to keep her special effects active. As you could only summon one monster to the field per go, it meant that he would only have one to attack with – the Dark Ruler Ha Des, which had been out originally. He couldn't attack anyway until one more turn had passed, thanks to Yugi's Swords of Revealing Light. Yugi and Malik were safe, for now.

Malik drew, and smirked. It was the same sort of triumphant smirk that had been on Ryou's face when he had drawn Dark Necrophia: the sort of expression you give when you have drawn _the_ card, the one which will win you the duel, or at the very least cause total inconvenience for your opponent.

Seeing his expression, Yugi inquired, "What card did you draw?"

The Egyptian only smiled. "Give me a moment." He ran his eye over the field, counting silently. "Sacrifice Dark Magician Girl, Big Shield Gardna and Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts to summon Winged Dragon of Ra!"

The three doomed monsters wailed despairingly as they were surrounded by black smoke and yanked sharply downwards as the sacrifice was accepted.

"So you have to offer other monsters as a tribute if you want to summon _really_ powerful ones?" Will asked slowly.

"Yes. It depends on how high the level of the monster is as to how many monsters you offer. To summon Ra I have to give three." Malik gave an unconcerned smile as a ball of light burst into life on the field. "It's worth it though."

Yugi, however, was not so happy. "You…you bakamono! We're supposed to be working as a team! That means you can't just choose to sacrifice _my_ monsters to benefit _you!"_

Bakura arched an eyebrow. "The Pharaoh's little pet said a 'bad word.' I'm impressed. Even if it _was_ in Japanese."

Yami gave him a warning look. "Tomb Robber…"

"I'm not listening."

Cracks began to appear all over the orb, letting shafts of blinding light shine through. Then the shell fragments tumbled away, and it burst open to reveal Winged Dragon of Ra. Leathery wings created blistering winds around it as it roared forth its greeting through bursts of crimson flames.

"Now _that_ is a cool monster!" Will exclaimed.

Malik smiled, pleased. "Thank you."

"What do you do with it now?" Lyra asked.

"There are three verses I have to chant that will give me control of it," the Egyptian explained. "Then I can-_holy shit…!"_

Will blinked. "How will that help you?"

Malik didn't hear him. He was gaping at his newly summoned monster, eyes nearly bulging out in horror and fury. _"What the fuck did you do to it? You…you…"_

Bakura followed his eyes, and immediately saw the problem– Winged Dragon of Ra's stats were displayed as 0000/5300.

"How the fuck did he do that?"

Ryou threw back his head and roared with laughter at their expressions. When he eventually calmed down he explained triumphantly: "Near the beginning of the duel I used Grave Robber to steal your Terror Strike card. I used it on the three monsters just as you sacrificed them."

"No," Malik whispered.

Ryou simply laughed even harder. "Yami, why are you looking so annoyed? Don't you like that card? It reminds me so much of you. Besides the obvious, it has so much in common with your nature. Like stabbing other people in the back…"

Bakura let loose a growl that made Lyra look at him in alarm.

"I see it now," Yami said slowly. "Clever of him. Very clever. He must have realised that with a God card out his Dark Sanctuary would be useless…"

Will tapped him on the shoulder. "Update please? What did Ryou do?"

Yami sighed. "Normally, when you sacrifice three monsters to summon God of Ra, the stats of the sacrificed monsters are combined together to make up Ra's stats. But Ryou used a card to sap the attack power of the three monsters down to 0, meaning that Winged Dragon of Ra has 0 attack. The attack points which were lost are also added onto Ryou's lifepoints. And it was a well-timed move because God cards are immune to Magic cards _and _possession, so he had to use it before the monster was summoned."

"My God."

…………

Ryou: 7900 Yugi: 2650 Malik: 2600

…………

Tanned hand shaking uncontrollably, Malik changed God of Ra to defence mode and ended his turn. His face was deathly white from shock, and there was a sort of hopelessness in the way he rotated the card sideways.

Ryou was grinning from ear to ear. "I know I'm going to enjoy this. Which is why I'll do it as slowly as possible. Prolonging the agony makes it _so_ much better to watch."

Agonisingly slowly, he drew. He glanced at the card in a dismissive fashion, before summoning Jowgen the Spiritualist. Activating its special effect, he discarded a card from his hand and chose to destroy Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Now, direct attack!!!"

The Dark Ruler Ha Des shrieked in reply and hurled itself down the field at Malik. The Egyptian cried out as white-hot lances of pain drove themselves into his body, the force throwing him backwards to the ground.

Ryou laughed again, more bitterly. "You think this is pain? You have no idea what real pain feels like. Something more like this."

He lashed out with his shadow powers and Malik screamed, feeling as if his whole body was aflame. Agony exploded in his back and he rolled over, limbs tingling from the aftermath but he didn't care; he just wanted the pain in his back to go. It flared even more, until he was nearly blinded with the pain, and then there was the sensation of being smothered in a thick black blanket as he lost consciousness.

Will stared at Ryou in disgust. "You _sadist."_

An indulgent smile. "Wrong half." His eyes bored into his yami like lasers. "Aren't you going to help him?" Ryou whispered. "Aren't you supposed to be his _friend?"_

Rooted to the spot, his body rigid with disbelief, Bakura suddenly snapped out of it and rushed to the Egyptian's side.

To the surprise of everyone Yami also did so, bending down next to him. He carefully placed a hand on Malik's shoulder, and Bakura felt the sudden tinge of nearby magic.

The light opened his eyes slowly. "…Where am I?" He looked around, before groaning aloud. "Oh Ra, not here. Anywhere but here." He put out a hand and struggled upright, Bakura supporting him.

"I'll get him for this, don't worry," the spirit whispered.

Ryou gave a sour, biting laugh. "Yes, you'll get me. Just like all the other times. Remember them, yami? All those times you hurt me?"

Bakura clenched his fists. "You deserve it right now."

"Oh I _always_ deserved it. I always deserved to be beaten up, kicked around, hit until I cough up so much blood I choke on it. _They_ don't know what I'm talking about." He indicated the group with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You want me to show them what I mean? What it looks like? How it _feels?"_

Bakura shifted his position very slightly. He could feel Malik starting to shake again. Suddenly he let out an exclamation and made a grab for his Item, just as Bakura and Yami felt the familiar pungent tang of Shadow magic. Black flames shaped into the form of hands were tugging at the Millennium Rod, previously nestled safely in the Egyptian's pocket. There was a brief tug of war, which Ryou won.

The Item hovered in the air, supported by a column of swirling smoke. Ryou activated it – _How?_ Malik thought. _I'm the only one who can use it_ – and a large window was drawn in the air, using the bottom of the Rod like a pencil. But this wasn't a way into another world; instead it was a view into the past, a memory.

………………

__

Get up, yadonushi. But he couldn't, it hurt too much. He tried-

__

Do as I tell you. Somehow he forced himself to stand. Then out of nowhere came the contemptuous kick, and he fell back against the wall. There was something in his mouth, something warm, salty…

Oh God, it was blood. _His_ blood. And he was screaming silently at himself not to swallow it, the only other option being spitting it out. But he couldn't _breathe;_ he could almost feel it clogging his lungs, his stomach –

His yami watching emotionlessly as he retched, then with an effort coughed it up, throat raw and red. The splatter as clots of _it_ hit the floor. The redness. And here was redness in his vision now, and black, and he knew he would pass out. Which was okay, because then the pain would end.

Sharp pain in his ankle, slamming him back into unwelcome reality. And blood was flying through the air, and it was coming from his mouth, which meant there was more of it – oh God no, please no, not more-

Tortured, laboured breaths of air, breathing while he still could. Someone help, there has to be someone…anyone…

Why won't Malik help? Is he going to just stand and watch? Come on, please help me…

And he met the purple eyes and for a moment joy bubble up within him and he thought, _yes, he'll help…_and then the slight shake of the head.

__

Fight your own battles.

But why…won't he…help-

__

Aww, you want help yadonushi? Another kick. _Who the hell do you think would want to help **you?** _A pause of understanding._ You think **Malik** will help you? He doesn't care. _He turns to his friend. _You want to help him?_

No. Why should I care? His tone very casual. Nothing important is happening. Why should he be concerned?

__

I think he's disappointed now. Isn't that sweet? You thought Malik would help you out, didn't you hikari? Go on then. Beg for help.

He is shoved forward, stumbling. And the disgust on Malik's face is more wounding than any physical blow. _He despises me…_

For Ra's sake Bakura, don't bring him near me. I don't want blood all over my clothes.

………….

Silence as the memory ends. Then more silence, but the loudest silence they've ever heard.

"…My God," Lyra breathed at last. Her eyes travelled over to Bakura and Malik. The former was staring at his lighter half, and the latter was gazing carefully at the ground. "You…you two were _total_ bastards to him…"

No one said anything. Ryou was still staring at his other, and it was Bakura who shuddered and looked away.

((Ryou, don't…))

"Don't what?" Ryou snarled. "Show them what you did to me? Or even show you how it feels? _Exactly_ how it feels?"

"…This is why you did all this, wasn't it?" Bakura said dully. "The duelling, everything…just a sideline. For the main event…getting back at me."

"And I'll do it, make no mistake. I'm going to put you through just as much pain as I went through, all those times you hurt me."

The spirit stared at the ground, silently bracing himself. He could deal with physical pain; hell, he could even enjoy it. Even when it happened to himself.

"I know you can," Ryou murmured softly. "You really do _love_ pain, don't you? Any type of physical pain, to other people or yourself. But are you as good at dealing with _other _types?"

"…What do you mean?" Bakura whispered.

A laugh, radiating scorn. And above that, hatred. "I know I'll never break you by physically hurting you. You'd enjoy it too much. But can you stand it if _someone else_ close to you gets hurt in your place? Until _they're_ the one coughing up blood?"

Bakura's eyes travelled slowly around the group; passing over Yami and Will, pausing briefly on Pantalaimon, and finally stopping on Malik.

"No. Please don't…"

"Until he starts coughing up blood," Ryou whispered. "And until you break. Then, maybe, I'll stop."

Bakura's mouth opened in protest, but it withered in his throat. Raw shadow power slammed into Malik and he screamed, feeling as if he'd been punched in the gut.

"Screaming _already?"_ Ryou crooned. "But I've hardly even begun…"

Acid was eating through his body, paralysing him, agonising him…Malik suddenly felt thick bile rise in his throat, along with something else. He coughed, involuntarily, and red liquid splattered onto the ground.

"Such a hypnotising tone," Ryou murmured. "The _splatter_ as it hits the ground. And it's so _red…"_

The Egyptian gagged as he felt the warm liquid in his mouth, choking on the nauseating lumps. He coughed more up, lungs screaming for air, but the blood kept on coming; would keep on coming until Ryou chose to make it stop.

Bakura watched helplessly as the Egyptian's purple eyes clouded over and he collapsed.

"It isn't over. I can wake him up as many times as I want…"

Malik writhed on the ground, limbs curling instinctively into the foetal position. He choked, and was forced to uncurl as blood lodged in his throat, obstructing his windpipe. It felt as if an invisible hand was closing over his oesophagus, and he felt dizzy, head spinning round and round as if he were on a rollercoaster. But despite this his senses were still working, and he could feel all too clearly every fresh agony Ryou was inflicting. Pulling himself up onto all fours, his limbs trembled uncontrollably as he vomited, the expelled substance not only blood but food from his last meal. Then there was more water, and he knew the enforced throwing up when there was nothing left to meant the lining of his stomach was probably ripped. This explained why the blood was now darker, the lumps and clots all too visible.

"Ow…"

Ryou gripped his mind and yanked hard, and the Egyptian let out a tiny whimper. At Ryou's bidding more blood filled his mouth, choking down the pitiful sound.

__

"Stop it!" Bakura shouted. "You _fucking bastard, _leave him alone!"

"Or what?" Ryou questioned quietly.

"Or I'll hurt you. I'll hurt you so much the things I did before will look like nothing. I'll send you to the fucking Shadow Realm, you little bastard, and see what you have to say for yourself then! _Fuck you!"_

Silence.

"Well now, my dear yami," Ryou said almost caressingly. "You _have_ fucked up now, haven't you? The rest of the group were just beginning to feel sorry for you."

Bakura was screaming in his fury. "I don't care what they think! I don't care what anyone thinks! Fuck it, leave him alone or I'll march right over to you and hit you until you fall over, you-"

"You can't," Ryou said matter-of-factly. "If you or any of the group leave your half of the arena, you forfeit the duel."

__

"Shut up about the fucking duel!"

Ryou made a disdainful movement with his hand. "Fine then. Go ahead and try it. Cause all your friends to get trapped in the Shadow Realm. See if I care."

"Fine! I will!"

Lyra gasped. "But…!"

"You see what he is like when he gets angry?" Ryou remarked in a conversational, almost bored tone to the group as a whole. "You were starting to think he wasn't so bad, weren't you? But you don't know him until you see him angry. Then you see what he is really like."

__

"Fuck that!"

"I rest my case."

__

"Yadonushi, **shut the fuck up!"**

"Hmm, your beloved 'y' word. I was wondering how long it would take for you to use it. So much more _natural_ than 'hikari' or 'Ryou,' isn't it? It comes so easily to you." He paused. "Do you know what one calls things like you? Something that lives off its host, sapping his strength, while convincing itself that what it is doing is natural and right? A _parasite. _That's what you are."

Bakura let out an animal snarl, and made as if to march over to Ryou, but Malik reached out weakly and tugged at his jeans.

"Bakura, don't. He's only goading you."

"Ah, the voice of reason," Ryou said in an almost dreamy voice. "Comes in many forms, doesn't it?"

The Ring-spirit's eyes blazed crimson, and Malik was suddenly struck by the likeness between them. He staggered upright, and immediately Bakura turned to help him, putting an arm around his shoulders. Malik winced and shrank away. "Careful. My back…it h-hurts…"

"Sorry," the spirit whispered apologetically. Malik could hear the tremble of anger in his voice.

Feeling the Egyptian's muscles throbbing in his back, Bakura said very quietly, "Should I have a look in case anything's broken or something?"

"If you want." Malik was still gasping slightly.

Carefully, respectfully, Bakura rolled up his shirt to reveal the carvings of the Pharaoh's memories underneath.

"Wow," Will said in awe. "Are they _tattoos?"_

"Of a sort," their owner said in a strained voice. He winced again as Bakura ran his fingers lightly over them, feeling for any bumps.

"I think you're okay. But you should sit down." He struggled with the Ring for a moment or two, and a chair rose up from the smoke pawing at their feet.

"He has to stay within his area of the field," Ryou recited.

"For Ra's sake, don't you care about anything except the shitty duel?"

"Plenty, as I think I've already proven. I'm only stating the conditions. I've already told you the duellists will be trapped for eternity in the Shadow Realm if they don't abide by them."

Bakura simply stared at him in disgust. "You really are a fucking bastard, Ryou."

__

"'Ryou,' is it now? What happened to 'yadonushi'?"

His yami ignored him. "Okay Malik, just lean on me. Seeing as _that bastard_ won't let you even sit down."

Ryou began to hum softly.

"Cut that out."

The teenager stopped. "Did _you_ give me a chance to sit down when you hurt me? No, it was 'get up yadonushi and stop whimpering, the pain isn't so bad once you get used to it.' You want me to play fair? Yami, you're the last person who can talk about fairness. As for him-" he jerked his head at Malik- "he deserves everything that happens to him. He's just as bad as you."

"Oh yes? And what has he done?"

"Oh, nothing whatsoever," Ryou answered softly. "Just sat and watched. And did nothing. But that's just as bad, after all. Isn't it, Pharaoh?" He mimicked, _"Sitting there and watching someone getting abused is just as bad as doing the abuse."_

Bakura's face turned white with rage. To Yami: _"You!_ You put all these ideas into his head, you…"

"Actually, he didn't," Ryou murmured. "The Pharaoh would never bring himself to interfere in other people's affairs, would you?"

Yami didn't say anything.

"Not denying it, are we? In fact we're staying nice and silent, hmmm? That's certainly a change from usual. You're normally more than happy to tell me what I should be doing to stop the Tomb Robber beating me up. But as for actually _doing_ anything, well that would be interfering, wouldn't it?"

Yami was stung into replying. "What did you _want_ me to do?"

"Nothing that you would find particularly strenuous." Ryou appeared to be thinking for a minute. "Maybe something along the lines of telling him to leave me alone, and then actually making sure he does it, instead of feeling so proud of yourself and walking off again. You see, I would do this all myself-" as Yami opened his mouth to protest- "but there's the small drawback that he can take over my body whenever he wants."

Yami was steeling himself to remain calm, and not make the same mistakes in his replies as the Tomb Robber had. "…Perhaps you have a point," he said quietly. "I should have made more of an effort to help you." Inside he was practically reeling at his own blindness. How could he not have seen something like this coming? Had he not even managed to get Ryou to admit some of his feelings?

__

Don't you hate them? Both of them?

I…don't know. Maybe on the inside. But not on the surface.

That's as good as a yes, Ryou.

It _had_ been a yes, Yami thought suddenly. Ryou had even admitted that he had probably buried his feelings deep. And he, Yami, had foolishly left it at that. Oh Gods, how could he have let this happen?

"Seems like someone's feeling _guilty,"_ the light whispered. "It's a bit late for that now. I had to do things myself. I realised I couldn't rely on your half-promises. And I'm doing things now, Pharaoh. I hope you approve."

He smiled serenely as Yami's face flooded with shame. "Aw, the Pharaoh's upset. Go run and cry to your little pet. I'm sure he'll make you feel better."

Yugi met his dark's eyes, and was astonished at the feelings there. (Aibou, stop blaming yourself. This isn't your fault.)

((I could have prevented this. I should have…))

The teenager hugged him tightly. (You couldn't have stopped this.)

"He's feeling better already," Ryou remarked. "I suppose that's what a pet is for."

Yugi made an unintelligible noise.

"You know, there is a reason why everyone calls you the Pharaoh's Pet. After all, that's all _he_ thinks of you as. A naïve, stupid little boy who relies on his _aibou_ to win all his duels and fuck him at night and-"

__

"You're lying!"

Ryou grinned at the look on Yugi's face. "If only." His tone darkened. "Have you any idea how many hours I spent at school, sitting on my own, and wishing, hoping you would realise what my yami was doing to me? All those wasted hopes. Because you were too naïve, too goddamn _happy_ to notice the state of anyone's life apart from your own. **_What right have you got to be so fucking happy with him?"_** he screamed suddenly.

Yugi whimpered.

"In the beginning," Ryou continued, his voice forcedly calm, "I used to wonder if it was something I had done. I used to think that somehow it was _my_ fault my yami was like this, wondering if he was right and I really was just weak and deserving of this pain. But now I see differently. He was the one who _chose_ to act like this to me. And I'm no longer weak. You-" he pointed to Malik, who cringed- "you may be a lighter half, an omote. And the Pharaoh was correct before- my yami _is_ a bad influence on you. But that still isn't an excuse. You both knew what you were doing."

Silence.

Sudden flare of shadow power, and Ryou fingered the Millennium Ring beneath his fingertips. "Even this Item is weak." He strained with his powers, and one of the tines began to bend. Bakura started to shake in pain.

Ryou released his hold and the dangling prong sprang back into shape. "Like a voodoo doll," he said thoughtfully. "I hurt this – I hurt you. Convenient. And it saves having to do it through other people." He shrugged and let go of the Ring, and it hung limply around his neck.

Suddenly Bakura's hand shot to his shirt, closing on air. "You took it. How?"

"Temporarily," his light said in a bored tone. He closed his eyes, and the Ring oozed through the spirit's shirt. "As to how I did it- Yami, the Ring is sensitive to shadow energy. It only normally appears with you because it moves to the half with shadow power. Or, in our case, the half with the most power. That would be me. I can hardly believe you haven't worked that out yet."

The Ring-spirit blinked in sudden understanding. "Two days ago…when it appeared again around your neck…I thought I was hallucinating…"

Ryou made an impatient gesture. "Careless of me. I was too easily satisfied."

"What?"

"I get it now," Will said slowly. "He was happy. You must have been being nice to him. Yes, I remember. You came back carrying him. I remember being so surprised at that. And Yami said earlier that shadow powers come out more if you have strong emotions. God, has he never been happy before?"

Bakura seized on the memory, and the first part of Will's sentence. "Ryou, remember what happened then. I _was_ nice to you, wasn't I? Nicer than I've ever been before. Hell, I remember making a conscious effort to make you feel better."

"The Pharaoh doesn't have to make a _conscious effort_ to be nice to his pet," Ryou whispered.

"For Ra's sake Ryou, _you fell asleep in my lap! _Doesn't that count for anything?" Bakura burst out.

"A year, yami. A whole year of you hurting me. And you think five minutes of reprieve will make me forget what you've put me through? Because no matter how many times you erase my mind with that fucking Ring, I'll always remember."

Bakura's eyes were hard. "I've changed. Can't you accept that? What more do I have to do to make you believe it?"

"I don't know." Ryou sounded vague, dreamy, almost uncertain. "I don't really know anything any more. Who I am, how I feel towards you, anything. I don't even know if I want you to be 'nice' to me. I don't know if I can take it after everything that's happened. Maybe I want you to carry on being like you were before. That's easier. Then I can just keep on hating you. But I don't even know if I want to do that."

__

You know what I wish right now?

What?

That you were my yami all the time.

We both know I'd never leave Yugi.

Then things blur, and the memory changes.

__

Could…could you stay out of the Ring for a bit longer? I need to know you're there.

Sure.

Nightmares.

__

I still scare you, don't I?

Don't be stupid.

Ryou, don't lie to me. I can feel your fear. You can't hide things like that from me.

Ryou swallowed hard, passing a hand across his eyes. "…Let's…let's just hurry up and duel." He took another card from his hand, and everyone saw the fingers which held the card were shaking.

"Summon Sangan. And sacrifice it to D-"

"Activate Sacrifice Sealing Mask!" Yugi said suddenly. He was the only person in the group who seemed to have recovered at all. Bakura was staring unseeingly at the ground, Malik was resting his head in his hands, Yami was shaking his head silently from side to side and Will and Lyra were looking at their daemons as if they were the only real things left in this crazy world.

Yugi watched as, unable to tribute his chosen monster to Dark Necrophia, Ryou simply shrugged and sacrificed Dark Ruler Ha Des instead. He was playing such a defensive game now, Yugi mused. It seemed like the most important thing left was to keep the Dark Sanctuary going.

He drew. Ah ha. Dark Sanctuary certainly wouldn't be going any longer once he used _this._

"I play Monster Reborn!"

Yami looked slowly up, and some of the life returned to his eyes. "Well done, aibou."

"Raising Dark Necrophia, I suppose," Ryou said dully.

"You got that right." The blue woman rose up on Yugi's side of the field. "And since I no longer have Dark Sanctuary to worry about, I am free to attack you once more. Dark Necrophia, attack Sangan!"

A roar as the monster vanished. Ryou's eyes went wide and he took a step back, clutching his shoulder.

Yugi slowly changed his sole monster, Dark Necrophia, to defence mode, and ended his turn.

……….

Ryou: 6700 Yugi: 2650 Malik: 150

……….

Again his hand was shaking as he reached out to draw. His eyes were closed, and they could all feel the concentration radiating from him. Then came the smile.

"How appropriate." He threw the card onto the podium, and it landed face-up. "I play Change of Heart!" The smile widened. "Now, I'll take control of my Dark Necrophia and sacrifice it to summon Puppet Master. And I'll use its special effect to revive the Dark Ruler Ha Des, Earl of Demise and Dark Magician!!! Haha! And of course, with Dark Necrophia back in the graveyard, the magic of Dark Sanctuary returns. Now that I have my maximum amount of monsters, who would like to lose first?" He grinned at the two disbelieving duellists facing him. "The Pharaoh's Pet first, I think. I want to see everyone's face as he loses for the first and last time in his life."

"You can't do this," Yami whispered. He pulled his light close to him.

"I can do anything I want," Ryou retorted calmly. His eyes were a lighter shade of red than they had been before-in fact there was almost a hint of brown in them. "Pharaoh, I can hardly believe you of all people are arguing with me over this. It was a duel. They lost. That's all there is to it."

"Don't do this, Ryou," Bakura whispered. "Please."

"And why not?" the light questioned absently as he eyed his monsters. "Now, which one should I use first? Perhaps Dark Magician. There is a certain irony in being destroyed by your own monster, I think." But he made no attempt to order an attack. He simply gazed vaguely at the field. The glow from his eyes was visibly draining away, and he seemed restless, almost uncertain.

__

Why isn't he attacking? Bakura thought. _Is he trying to prolong it again?_

"No," his light answered, still in that vague, dreamy tone. "I don't think so. At least, I'm not meaning to… Why, am I doing it? Prolonging everything?"

"…I…suppose so." The spirit of the Ring was uncertain in his reply, unsure as to whether or not maybe something else was happening.

"I didn't know," Ryou said very quietly, almost to himself. "And suddenly it's so hard. _Everything_ is." A pause. "What should I do, yami?" he asked suddenly. "What should I do with them? These…people." He indicated the group vaguely. "What do you want me to do?"

"…Uh…" Bakura shuffled his feet, feeling more confused then he'd ever been in his entire three-thousand-long life. "…I don't know. You seemed so keen to kill everyone a moment ago. Although I'd really rather if you didn't. Why are you asking me anyway?"

"I don't know. Maybe I _do_ value your opinion more than I thought." (Help me yami…Help me decide…)

Bakura stared.

"Oh, what's the point?" Ryou said wearily. "It won't solve anything. Nothing will." He gave a shrug and left his area of the duelling arena. "Just forget it, yami." Now his eyes were the familiar muddy dark brown again. He sighed, and indicated the arena. Immediately it vanished, and with an alarming swirl of colour the group were back in the field, next to their sleeping bags.

(Night, yami.)

He walked over to his sleeping bag and sank into it, clearly exhausted. Everyone stared at him, expecting developments. When he didn't stir Bakura cautiously whispered, ((Ryou?))

No reply.

"I…I think he's asleep again," the spirit said slowly. "…If he was even awake. And I think I'll follow his example and go to sleep. Night, everyone." He vanished into his soul room, just as the last traces of shadow-power vanished from the air and he retched, halfway to his bed.

"That sounds like a good idea," Will said eventually. "The sleeping part."

There were murmurs of assent from everyone, and they climbed into their sleeping bags. Malik and Yugi fell asleep almost at once, but just before closing her eyes Lyra leant over to Will and whispered, "I've just got an idea."

"Tell me in the morning."

……….

A/N: Hmmm. That seemed to turn out pretty well. I'm actually quite pleased with this chapter. As with before, I really would appreciate it if you reviewed, as I spent so long typing everything up. Over 11,000 words, too…

Oh, and explanations, as promised, in case you missed them/didn't get it:

In chapter 14, when the Ring moved from Bakura to Ryou, it was because Ryou was really happy (or at least what passes for really happy with him) and because of this strong emotion, his shadow powers came to the surface, just for a few moments. The Millennium Ring sensed this power and moved to him, because it could detect the most shadow-energy coming from him.

Also in chapter 14, when the word 'parasite' flashes into Bakura's mind, it was because the thought leapt into Ryou's mind, and Bakura heard the thought but didn't realise it was Ryou's.

In chapter 15, when they discover the camp had been wrecked – well, you know Ryou had that bad dream about his yami hurting him? He sleepwalked that night, and wrecked the camp. And he was going to hurt Yugi and Malik, but Yugi's Dark Magician came out from its card and protected its sleeping master. Ryou got angry at this, and his shadow powers caused the Dark Magician and the rest of Yugi's deck to be scattered all over the ground. That was why his and Yugi's decks were warm in the morning– because the cards had been used that night. The Dark Magician winked at Yugi because it was trying to tell him about what had happened.

Also in chapter 16, Ryou didn't sleepwalk the night he was awake with Lyra, because he was awake and so couldn't possibly sleepwalk. The reason that they didn't take it in turns to sleep was that they knew this enemy was a powerful one, and it would be better to face it as a pair.

In chapter 16, the Dark Magician submitted to Ryou because it knew what had happened the night before, and recognised his superior powers.

I think most of the mysteries are clearer now, is that correct? One last one which I won't divulge just yet: the bird which stole the alethiometer, and its reason. Try and guess at that one. But if not, you'll all find out in chapter 19.

Lastly, to the people who thought I was leaving out Yugi, Will and Lyra: I tried to give them a bigger part in this chapter, Yugi especially, but I can't really help it that Ryou, Bakura, Malik (and Yami Malik?) are my favourite characters, and I naturally tend to centre most on them. Will and Lyra will get more important roles in chapter 18. I've tried to give Pantalaimon a role of reasonable importance so far, but I can't promise Kirjava will get much attention. The book doesn't really mention her, actually, and although she only appears near the end, her character is somewhat overlooked. grimaces at the word 'overlooked' dammit, I have a thing for overlooked characters. I'll probably start planning a fanfic around her now…No! Noooooo!


	18. In which everyone catches up on their sl...

A/N: I don't think I mentioned this before, but Ryou, Yugi and Malik are all 16 in this story. So are Will and Lyra. I appreciate the last two were only thirteen in Northern Lights, but I couldn't really have 16 year olds meeting up with 13 year olds. It wouldn't really work. In the anime, I'm almost certain Ryou, Yugi, Malik, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu and Kaiba (yes, he IS the same age as Yugi) are all 16/17. As Ryou's birthday is on September 2nd, and Malik's is on December 23rd, those two are probably 17 already. But in this fic they are all 16. It sort of makes things easier. Oh, and correct me if I'm wrong, but in His Dark Materials I don't think Phillip Pullman makes any references as to when Lyra or Will's birthdays are. He just gives their ages.

Oh, and the yamis are all 3000 (they changed it to 5000 in the dub, damn them! Why? Why change it?) with the exception of Yami Malik, who is 6. This is because Yami Malik came into being when Malik was 10. (I guess Yami Malik has a mental age of a 6 year old…? Heh heh) But he's still in Malik's body, so he is sort of 16 too. Well, when you're a spirit age doesn't really matter, right? (shrug) You're immortal. Big deal.

Oh, one more thing: I was gazing into space the other day, when I suddenly got the most AMAZING idea for a sequel!!! Yes, that's right – after this has finished and I've recovered from the shock of writing what will probably be a 70,000-words story, I will take up the task of writing NORTHERN DARKS 2!!! (Although, obviously, it won't be called Northern Darks 2.) It was kind of scary – I was thinking back to my holiday in Spain a little while ago, and imagining Ryou in the same situation, when suddenly a sole image popped into my head, bringing with it about half of (probably) 50,000 story. Wow. I grabbed all the paper I could find, (earning me strange looks from my family) and started jotting notes. I've got over twenty sides (of aprox 300 words per side) of notes, and it grows bigger every day. And no, just because it was triggered by thinking about Spain doesn't mean it will feature Ryou or anyone else in Spain. Far from it. I'm going to be changing the 'original' (inverted commas used because I've come up three original endings for Northern Darks during the total course of my writing.) ending a little bit, to pave the way for the sequel, but, fear not, for it will be a satisfying ending nonetheless. Ooooh, I can't wait to start writing the sequel. Although I guess it will have to wait until I've finished Northern Darks first…

Don't forget to review! I really do love getting reviews. They make me so happy. Also, it means my yami is happy too, which is always a good thing seeing as it doesn't happen very often.

Warnings: bad language, non-yaoi fluff

Konnichiwa: Good day/Hello

Ouija Board: DEAT

Chapter Eighteen: In which everyone catches up on their sleep.

Yugi was the first to wake the next morning. Deciding not to wake the others, he sat idly on top of his sleeping bag and started a thumb-twiddling contest with himself.

__

Yay! I won!

He smiled contentedly, the falsely reassuring warmth of the Puzzle just penetrating his jumper.

…………

At thirty-eight minutes past ten the next of the group began to stir. Ryou sat up groggily and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. Then he noticed Yugi was awake and his posture became slightly more calculating.

"Konnichiwa Ryou! Did you sleep well?" Never one to hold a grudge, Yugi was curious as to whether Ryou would remember anything of what he had done the previous night.

The Ring-holder surveyed him flatly. "Not particularly. And you?"

Yugi giggled, slightly nervously. "You know, its funny you should say that. Because last night I and the rest of the group had the _strangest_ experience-"

Ryou sat up slightly straighter. "Tell me about it."

…………

Will woke up about fifteen minutes later, to find Kirjava had lodged herself under his shirt and refused to come out. After a few seconds of tugging he prised her away, and looked up for the first time. Immediately he was hit by the sight of Ryou and Yugi sitting together, the latter chattering away at an amazing speed. He couldn't see Ryou's expression, and suddenly found that a part of him didn't want to.

"M-Morning Ryou."

The teenager looked at him coldly for a moment, before turning back to Yugi. "Go on." There was something in his expression that Will didn't like, something in the way his eyes had swept over him, assessing and then dismissing him. And that frosty manner was totally out of character. Ryou was normally one of the politest people he had ever met.

Will pulled his feet out of his sleeping-bag, accidentally knocking Malik as he did so. "Sorry."

"'S okay," the Egyptian mumbled drowsily. He looked around sleepily, and saw Ryou. "…Oh Ra!"

Ryou turned enquiringly, and his face was that of the Ryou they were all used to – innocent, soft, _nice._ But as Will studied his face he saw something new leap into his eyes, just for a moment. A slight tinge of red, a slight narrowing of the eyes. Then it was gone. But now he was on his guard.

"G-Get away from me!" Malik backed away as far as possible from Ryou, his eyes so wide they took up nearly half his face. "Don't come near me!"

"What are you talking about?"

If he hadn't seen the way the teenager's eyes had flickered red, Will would have sworn that astonishment was genuine.

"Don't give me that! You're not coming anywhere near me! I know how much you hate me!"

The Ring holder's tone was puzzled. "Why would I hate you?"

"…Because…because I watched Bakura hurt you all those times, and never did anything about it. Except once."

Ryou was silent for a long time. Everyone was watching him. Lyra had woken up, and was staring at him with bated breath.

Eventually he said slowly, "Yes. That seems like a good reason for me to hate you."

The Egyptian retreated even further. Ryou's eyes never left him. There was a definite redness to them now, and Will could tell that he wasn't the only person who had noticed. Lyra was staring at Ryou with the look of someone analysing something, and Will suddenly remembered she had been going to tell him something last night. Her expression was thoughtful, and there was an uncharacteristic look of compassion on her face. Not pity, not quite, but something very near it.

Bakura split off, his face a mask of anger. "Ryou, get away from him."

Will was silently shocked to see how much the spirit had deteriorated during the night. He was even thinner than usual, as if he were literally wasting away, and in his white face his eyes were the only part of him that still seemed to be alive. Although, of course, he was already dead. So easy to forget, especially now.

Cue innocent look from Ryou. "Hello yami. Did you sleep well?"

"No shit," Bakura snapped.

"We _are_ grumpy this morning, aren't we? I suppose spending the night in the Shadow Realm is enough to make someone grouchy."

"Ryou, if you continue to act as if nothing is happening I am going to hit you. You do all those things to Malik and everyone else, and then expect me to be all nice to you?"

A cool shrug. "I was asleep. I couldn't help what I was doing."

__

"Oh no. _That's_ not going to let you off. You were awake during the last of it. I know you were."

"And your point is?"

"You _chose_ to do those things. That's a lot different from doing them while asleep."

"Really? I'm afraid I don't see any difference."

Bakura lost it. "Stop acting like-like you're some sort of _victim!_ You're being so Ra-damned _righteous_ over all this, acting as if we drove you to it!"

"But you did," Ryou answered softly. "And you know I'm right, which is why you're so angry, and you don't like the fact that I'm more powerful than you."

__

"That," the Ring-spirit pronounced heatedly, "is bullshit. I don't give a damn about how much more powerful you are."

"You're lying," Ryou stated simply. "I can feel it."

"Oh? And will you feel it if I send you to the Shadow Realm? Because I want you to. I want you to feel the same amount of pain that you've caused Malik."

"Been there, felt that. And I could be getting very angry right now about the way you're shouting at me. But I won't. After all, it must be very difficult for you – having someone to let your stress out on for a year and then having them turn round and show you just how much you've hurt them. I understand that."

"That's shit. You don't understand me. You don't understand me _at all."_

"Unfortunately, I do. It comes with being connected to you. An unfortunate fact, but one which I am beginning to learn how to use to my advantage."

"Fine. Go ahead. Beat me up. See if I care."

"No. I refuse to lower myself to your standards."

Bakura's tone was soaked in disgust. "Ryou, if you think that will serve as an excuse then you've got another thing coming. There's another reason you won't demonstrate your powers right now, isn't there? Because you don't know if you can. You can't control them. In fact, they're practically controlling you."

Ryou was shaking in rage. "So you think I can't control them? You're wrong. I can control them just fine. And I may be lacking in practice, but I more than make up for that in sheer power. You couldn't stand up to me even if you wanted to." Flames erupted around his body, and his eyes took on that familiar fiendish scarlet glow.

"Bullshit," Bakura spat out.

The blast threw him backwards to the ground. "How many times do I have to prove it to you, yami?"

The spirit struggled slowly to his feet. "Fuck you."

"Whatever. _Parasite."_

Bakura flinched.

"Truth hurts, hmm?"

"…You know what?" the yami said suddenly. "I liked the old Ryou."

"There wasn't an old Ryou. There was just your yadonushi. _This_ is Ryou."

"No. This isn't Ryou. Not the one I knew."

"You never knew me, my little parasite."

"I did, actually. More than you might think. Not the terrified yadonushi who submitted to every single beating because I had convinced him he deserved it. But the one who looked at me and _trusted_ me; the one who asked me to stay out of the Ring so he could know I was still there; the one who fell asleep in my lap - that was the real Ryou."

"Shut up."

"It was, wasn't it?" Bakura pressed. "I don't know what those shadow powers of yours are doing to you, but you aren't acting like Ryou. You're acting like a crazed megalomaniac who's just been on a killing spree and is in denial about it."

__

"Shut up!" The flames blazed with renewed vigour around Ryou, but his eyes were still brown. For a moment he still looked angry, then a shadow of uncertainty crossed his face.

"See?" his yami said softly. "It isn't your fault you can't control them. But every time you get angry, or upset, or frightened, they'll come out, and unless you're very lucky you won't be able to do anything with them."

Ryou didn't say anything. Bakura reached out, very gently, feeling for the part of his light's mind that would make these shadow-fires vanish. He tugged, and the flames disappeared.

Ryou just stood there, his body shaking. He stared at his yami through eyes that were suddenly wide and frightened. His yami looked back, and something softened in his expression.

(…Do you h-hate me?)

((No.))

Bakura came up to him, very slowly, and hugged him. Ryou's body went limp in his arms.

(I…I'm sorry…)

((Don't be. It was my fault anyway. But I think we're even now.))

His light pulled back a little, a very small smile on his face. (…Yes. I think we are.) He hugged him tighter.

Finally they broke apart, each with a small amount of embarrassment. Bakura was silently horrified that he had just been what could be interpreted as 'soppy'; Ryou was just blushing slightly from the fact that everyone had been watching. But both had secretly quite enjoyed it.

Feeling more than a bit drained from all the shouting, Bakura sat down shakily on the grass. Ryou followed suit, and soon the entire group had sat down. The general air was one of slight uncertainty, but no fear, which was an improvement on five minutes ago. Malik was still eyeing Ryou somewhat apprehensively, but sat in a more-or-less placidly fashion on Bakura's other side.

"Um," Will began hesitantly.

"I agree," Bakura said promptly, producing a laugh from everyone.

"…_Pan,_ what was Lyra going to tell us last night?" The words were uttered in a hushed tone, as Kirjava communicated quietly with Pantalaimon. Although it was like speaking into a telephone, really, because Will and Lyra could still hear what was going on.

"She's got an idea as to how we can save the yamis," Pan explained almost inaudibly. "But she's reluctant to say anything because she doesn't know if it will work. For that matter, I'm doubtful as well. It seems like a very long shot."

"What is it?"

"…Lyra thinks we could go north, and try and meet up with Serafina Pekkala and the rest of her clan. They're witches, so they might know how to get Ryou, Malik and Yugi back into their world. Failing that, they might be able to do something to counteract the effects of them being in a foreign world for so long, so that would at least give us more time to come up with a solution."

The reply was an unconvinced pause. "…I don't think that would work. And, like you said, it's a very long shot. What happens if they don't have an answer? Or if we can't find the witches? Or even if we don't get there in time? We only have until tomorrow night, you know."

"I _am_ aware of that. But it's a possibility, isn't it? And far better than doing nothing. At least if we try we'll have a _chance."_

"Hang on." Silence as Kirjava communicated with her human. "Will is concerned about the effect it will have on them if we don't succeed. It would be cruel to raise their hopes and then dash them again."

"But they would have _some_ hope. If we stay here then nothing will happen. Also…Lyra wants to ask the witches if they know anything about the whereabouts of the alethiometer. It was stolen by a bird, and all witches' daemons are birds, so there's a good chance that they might have seen it."

"I suppose- wait a moment. This is just about what Lyra wants now, isn't it?"

"How can you say that?" Pan demanded. "Lyra would never be that selfish. Besides, once we have the alethiometer we can find out the solution to the yamis dying. Have you forgotten that?"

"Mmm. Perhaps I have." Then, in an amused tone: "You feel bound to defend your human."

"Of course," Pan answered with some anger.

"Interesting. I don't mean that I disagree with it. Perhaps, as I have been with Will for far less time than you have with Lyra, I simply feel less loyalty towards him." Kirjava began to preen her temporary feathers.

"Then you'd better discover this loyalty extremely quickly," Pan snapped, bristling.

Kirjava moved swiftly out of reach of his cat claws. "Calm yourself."

The other daemon growled threateningly, but continued the original conversation with – "So are we going to tell them or not?"

"I think not. There doesn't seem to be much point in traipsing all over to the godforsaken north just so we _might_ meet up with these witches who _might _be able to produce a cure or _might _be able to tell us the whereabouts of the alethiometer."

"And you call _Lyra_ selfish?" Pan exclaimed in incredulous exasperation. "I don't see why you even care about the amount of walking that will have to be done, seeing as you can simply sit on Will's shoulder the whole way!"

"That is besides the point."

"What does Will think?"

In answer, the black-haired teenager met Lyra's eyes. _Yes, _he mouthed.

"See? _See?"_ Pan repeated aggressively, glowering at Kirjava. _"He _agrees with us."

"I am not answering you."

"You just did!"

"I'm not listening."

Pan dived at the nightingale daemon, who promptly began a fox and knocked him contemptuously away.

"Oh for God's sake!" Lyra vociferated aloud. She pulled her daemon to her, careful not to so much as touch a hair on Kirjava's vulpine head. "The answer was yes. Now stop fighting over it."

"Stop fighting over what?" Yugi asked curiously. He looked over from his conversation with Malik, repeating, "what are they fighting over?"

Kirjava gave Pantalaimon a look that clearly and smugly said - _now look what you've done._ Pan ignored her.

Lyra sighed. _I suppose it's as good a time to tell them as any. _"I…have an idea as to how we might be able to save the yamis. I said _might,"_ she added, as the hope leapt into Yugi's face. "There's a strong possibility it won't work."

The Puzzle-holder shook his head impatiently. "Fine, fine. Now what is it?"

"…I thought we could go north and try to meet up with Serafina Pekkala and her clan. After all, they're witches, so they should be able to help. And even if they can't, they'll almost certainly know where the alethiometer is. _That_ knew how to help the yamis."

Silence. She thought she saw disappointment in Yugi's eyes, and felt suddenly bad for raising their hopes when there was so little chance of the hope being fulfilled.

Eventually someone spoke, but it wasn't Yugi. "I know this probably sounds really selfish, but if our yamis die does that mean we die too?" Malik questioned.

Will looked thoughtful. "That's a good question."

"Well **we** can't survive without our daemons," Lyra stated with a troubled look on her face. "Like in my world, if someone's daemon gets shot or something then the person dies too. But you three have only had yamis relatively recently, haven't you? So maybe it doesn't make any difference."

"Not if the souls have been fused together." Bakura spoke slowly, fighting the nausea clawing its way up his throat. "The idea is that the light and dark halves together make one person. You three were fine when you left us on the banks of the world of the Dead, because we were still alive. Although it probably didn't feel particularly pleasant."

Malik recalled the empty feeling in his mind without his yami, and felt like yelling with exasperation. _I can barely live with him but I can't live without him? Great._

"In any case," Yugi supplied, "it doesn't matter whether we can live without them or not, because we aren't going to find out. We're going to find the witches and they'll tell us where the alethiometer is and help us get back into our world, and that's that."

"You make it sound so straightforward," Malik remarked dryly, a hint of sardonic amusement creeping into his tone.

"That's because it _is,"_ Yugi insisted. "All we need to do is a bit of walking. Um…how far…?" he added as an afterthought.

"Dunno," Lyra answered with a shrug. "I think it's quite far. But we're pretty far north anyway, I think. Will just needs to cut a way into my world and off we go. I might recognise some of the places we pass, as well."

"Wha- so you don't actually know exactly _where_ we'd be going?" Malik queried in disbelief. "Just 'up north'?"

"Uh…kinda, yeah."

"Oh this is _great._ Just great. So what happens if we go to the wrong bit of north? We could get lost in the arctic or something."

"Not unless you're planning on crossing the Arctic Ocean," Will smirked.

"Won't…won't it be a bit cold?" Yugi questioned tentatively. "I mean, we're not all exactly wearing thick jumpers." He looked pointedly at Malik in his midriff-baring top, and the teenager scowled.

"Like I said, it's just an _idea,"_ Lyra snapped defensively. "And I don't exactly hear any of you lot coming up with anything." The lack of sleep was obviously starting to tell.

"We didn't mean to seem rude," Yugi amended hastily. "And I think it's quite a good idea. Let's just give it a try, shall we?"

………

__

"We've been wading through this stuff for **five hours!** I think that counts as 'giving it a try'! **Now** can we turn back?!"

"If you don't stop _complaining_ I'll-" Will broke off rather lamely, unable to think of a suitable threat.

They had covered over twelve kilometres, mostly through forest, and Yugi had even been starting to enjoy the scenery, and the exercise. This was before it had started to snow. Trudging through the snow which had previously been ankle-deep and was now up to their knees was not an experience anyone was savouring. It was like forcing their way through miles and miles of custard. Thick, unyielding custard which almost seemed to endeavour to pull them back. Yugi, being several inches shorter than everyone else, was practically drowning in it and several times Ryou and Will, being directly in front and behind him respectively, had had to stop and literally pull him out.

It wasn't the first complaint Malik had given voice to, nor indeed the second. He had started as soon as the weather deteriorated and was now in full flow, ranting about the 'crappy excuse for snow' and how one of the others had obviously offended Ra almost beyond imagining or they wouldn't be in this mess. Yugi and Ryou were used to the way Malik gave vent to things that annoyed him, and had long ago learnt to block him out at times like this, his voice fading to an almost pleasant drone in the depths of their ears. But Lyra and Will weren't such veterans, and the Egyptian's relentless yelling was starting to annoy them.

"You'll what? Because I don't give a damn about what you do as long as you make this stupid snow stop! Even better, just say we can turn back!"

"That defeats the whole object of starting out!" Will shouted back. The wind was rising, hurling itself against the plains with unexplainable ferocity, and it was getting harder to make yourself heard clearly. It was even harder to see where you were going. Before the wind had started the view had been magnificent - trees keening under the sheer mass of snow, the forest around them fully decked out in its icy splendour. It looked like something cut out of a Christmas card, only a thousand times more beautiful. Now the wind whipped across their faces, making their eyes water and their mouths dry.

They were cold too, which wasn't doing anything for Malik's temper. Resorting to wrapping the blankets they normally kept for sleeping around their frozen bodies, the cold found its way through every little gap in the fibres. Lyra was by far the best off. She wore the furs Farder Coram and John Faa had bought for her several months ago – a parka made of reindeer skin, as reindeer hair is hollow and is also an excellent insulator, with the hood lined in wolverine fur. Her boots were soled with the skin of the bearded seal, which was as tough as walrus-hide, but lighter. Although they hadn't been washed in months and stank, they kept the warmth in. Will too was slightly better off than the three Item holders – although he didn't had clothes of fur, Kirjava was coiled around his waist as a mink, warming his body.

Malik was possibly the worst off, although Ryou came a close second. When you have grown up in Egypt, where the sun blazes throughout the entire day and the temperature is always upwards of thirty degrees Celsius, and then you experience snow, you would be forgiven for wanting the stuff to be made illegal. And when there is a frozen piece of gold hanging around your neck which you can't take off, the cold has a special way of coursing through your entire body, as if it is turning your veins to ice.

The Ring and Rod holders shivered their way onwards, heads bowed under the wind, both willing to give up several body organs for the sake of a cup of nice hot chocolate. Lyra, almost uncomfortably warm in her furs, was humming cheerfully to herself. It was definitely a good thing that no one could hear her, (thanks to the gale blowing around them) or they would probably have killed her for being so happy.

When the wind force had risen to monstrous levels and it was clearly ridiculous to think they would get anywhere, Will cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Shall…we…stop?"

__

"Yes!" came the instant reply from Malik.

"Anyone else _apart_ from Malik want to stop?"

"Yes!" Yugi called hastily.

"Okay then, we'll take a break!" Will paused and looked around. _Um, there kind of aren't any benches or anything, so how…?_

Malik pulled out the Millennium Rod, and flames burst into life around him, melting the snow to reveal limp grass. There were cheers from the others, and the two daemons transformed into polar bears, sheltering them all from some of the wind's onslaught. The snow was also lessening, a little.

Ryou sat down slowly, holding the Ring in his hands. It had frozen solid, resembling little more than a lump of ice, and it looked almost as if there was a giant frozen snowball hanging around his neck. He thought for a moment, then screwed up his eyes and concentrated. The ice immediately dissolved, running down the flat gold surface to form a miserable puddle at his feet. He looked around nervously, feeling suddenly guilty, but no one seemed to have noticed. Although he wasn't aware of it, Yami stared at him thoughtfully through Yugi's eyes.

There didn't seem to be much point in getting too settled, so the group crouched uncertainly behind the shielding bulk of the two daemons, hopping from one foot to the other in vain attempts to keep warm.

"…So, anyone read any good books lately?"

__

"Malik!"

"I'm only trying to make conversation. It isn't my fault if you're in a bad mood."

"I'm not in a bad mood!" Will protested.

"Uh huh. Sure you aren't."

Before Will attempted to hit him, Yami spilt off, saying soothingly, "don't worry about him. He's only winding you up in an attempt to distract everyone from the fact that he's in a foul mood himself."

__

"I'm not in a foul mood!"

Everyone snickered behind their hands, and Malik let loose a growl. Yami smiled to himself, while trying to suppress a shiver as his body reacted to the cold. Yugi saw it, and at once offered him a corner of the blanket. The spirit smiled again, more sadly, and shook his head at him in reply.

Deciding it would be more productive to wait until the wind had abated before moving on, Will got out a packet of matches and nearly the last of the firewood from his rucksack, and tried to light a fire. Needless to say, thanks to the 'breeze' around them he didn't have much success. When he was about to use the second-to-last match, Ryou put out a hand and signalled for him to stop. He stared at the untidy offering of firewood, and a red film spread over his eyes like a dye. Something flickered deep within the pile, and within a few moments a small flame danced, licking with quickly increasing enthusiasm at the dry branches. It grew almost alarming quickly, and soon a strong fire blazed merrily, eating the wood up with barely restrained greed.

Will blinked. "…Wow. Um, thanks."

No one else said anything. A few eyes slid over to Ryou, and instantly snapped back again. Ryou blushed and looked away, one hand habitually clutching the Ring.

__

They're all treating him like he's some sort of freak, Yami thought. He was almost surprised at how indignant he was. _And he's so embarrassed about his powers. He doesn't even know how to use them properly, and he can still set something alight just by thinking about it._

After the kettle had boiled, Will got out the cocoa powder and passed around mugs of hot chocolate for everyone. Then, as the wind had died down to barely a murmur of a breeze, although the air was still heavy with cold, they reluctantly got up and continued their journey.

It was easier going now, although that could have been from the lack of wind, the rest, the hot chocolate, or just the fact that now they could actually see where they were going. Although there was still the small problem that they didn't know exactly _where_ they were supposed to be going, as Malik constantly reminded them every five minutes. Yami wasn't sure how someone who had managed to get through the first sixteen years of his life in an incredible state of self-delusion could still manage to find flaws in absolutely anything. Perhaps it was just one of those things.

Ryou was walking quietly behind, staring at the ground, saying and doing nothing in the hope of not attracting any more attention to himself. He was silently berating himself for using his powers again in front of everyone; after all, it was just giving them another reason to shun him. Not that he totally resented this – he was secretly terrified of hurting anyone again as he had done last night. His thoughts were beginning to revert to the type from when his yami had still abused him – the feeling that, if he distanced himself from the group as much as possible, he could at least make sure no one else got hurt.

Without seeming to, Yami let his pace lessen, so that the others overtook him and he was walking next to Ryou. The teenager seemed unaware of his presence, and when Yami uttered his name he started and looked up in astonishment.

"…Oh. Hello." A shadow of something that might have been fear crossed his face. Not fear _of _Yami, but _for_ him. Who would know what would happen if he got too close? He might end up sending him to the Shadow Realm, or worse.

"Konnichiwa." He saw a brief smile appear at the familiar language, then the light stared back down at his feet. Making his voice gentle, he said softly, "Ryou, why do you feel so bad about having shadow powers?"

Blushing at the fact that his thoughts had been so easily guessed, Ryou muttered something unintelligible and studied the ground.

"No one hates you for what you did last night," the spirit continued quietly.

His whole face aflame now, the teenager looked up fearfully. This was worse than having the Millennium Rod prying through your mind. Were his thoughts so betrayed in his face that Yami could just look at him and know what he was thinking?

"Y-You don't know that."

"Yes I do. Why would any of us blame you for something which wasn't your fault?"

"It _was_ my fault," Ryou whispered. "I-I was awake for some of it. I _knew_ what I was doing."

"But you couldn't have stopped, could you?"

"…No." The word was said reluctantly.

"Exactly. It was like they were using you, wasn't it? And you couldn't stop them, and part of the reason for that was that deep down you didn't _want_ to stop them?"

"Yes!" The words were piling out now, as Ryou poured out his feelings to someone who seemed to understand them. "It was like that. And I _knew_ I was hurting people, like my y-yami, only I didn't want to stop because I _wanted_ to hurt him. I didn't want to at first, but then it was like my powers were showing me that I _could_ hurt him, although I'd never been able to before. It was like an excuse to carry on, because I sort of believed that I had a right to do it and if I felt reluctant I had that excuse to fall back on – that he deserved it. It…it was like being drunk. I mean, I've never been drunk before, but I think I know how it feels. Like you've always wanted to do something and now seems like a great time to do it, and if people get angry at you for acting how they don't want you to act then you can just say that you're drunk, and can therefore do whatever you want. It-it was a bit like that."

"I see," Yami said slowly. It had come as a bit of a shock to hear Ryou say all that in one go. He wasn't generally a talkative person. "And that shows that it wasn't really your fault, doesn't it? It was like you were drunk on your shadow powers."

"Like I was intoxicated," Ryou said with a small smile. "It feels weird to say that, but it was true. It was a great feeling. Like I could do absolutely anything I wanted, and no one could stop me."

__

And we couldn't," the Puzzle-spirit mused. _ He really **could **have done anything he wanted. And he did, didn't he?_

"So why are you distancing yourself from everyone, then?"

The smile vanished from Ryou's face as if it had been wiped off with a blackboard rubber. "…I…I just don't want it to happen again. And I don't want to hurt anyone like I did before."

"Ryou, if you act as if you're a stranger then everyone will treat you like one. And that means you don't talk to anyone which, may I add, is the reason last night's events happened. You kept everything pent up inside, which was why you sleepwalked. And when that happened your mind was more relaxed, so it was easier for your shadow powers to come to the surface. You can't avoid everyone when we're in a tight group like this, so why waste your time? They just want to treat you like you're a normal person. Which you are anyway, despite the stuff you can do."

"I…guess," the light said doubtfully.

"Look, _no one_ enjoys being on their own all the time. So don't be." _I don't think you can get a blunter sentence than that._

"…Mmm. I suppose."

"So you'll stop distancing yourself?"

"I…I'll try."

"Glad to hear it."

Ryou hesitated, then hugged him. "Thank you. For…for being so nice. And understanding."

"Its okay." Yami smiled and hugged him back. After a moment, he looked up and exclaimed, "Ra, look how far behind we are! We'd better hurry and catch up, or they'll start to wonder what happened to us."

The two broke into a run, the newly settled snow crunching underfoot.

……….

Early evening found them stopping to set up camp and make supper. The dusky light cast murky shadows over their faces, and even longer ones onto the ground. They were the sort that make young children want to jump on the heads of their neighbours' shadows, in one of those strange playground games only they understand and the adults scoff at, while secretly feeling a strange sense of loss at how out of tune they are with their youth.

Will had discovered some paper in his rucksack, and Yugi was teaching him the Japanese art of origami. He watched in fascination as Yugi folded the corner and deftly flipped it over, and then there was an elephant sitting in his palm.

"Cool!"

There were grins from Malik and Ryou at his wonder.

"Could you do it again? Only more slowly, so I can see how to do it?"

"Sure." Patiently the Puzzle-holder repeated his actions, while explaining what he was doing. Then he tore the paper in half, giving a piece to Will.

Lyra was scanning the sky, brow furrowed.

"What are you looking for?" Ryou asked her curiously.

"Witches," she replied shortly. "I want to know how far north we are."

"Oh." He wilted slightly at her frosty tone, withdrawing into himself and staring down at the ground.

Will and Yugi had two baby paper elephants in front of them and were making them bash into each other like toy soldiers. Malik was staring at the ground in the same way as Ryou. Usually during times like this he would be chatting to Bakura, but the Ring-spirit had stayed inside his Item for the entire day and Malik didn't really feel like asking Ryou if his other was awake or anything. He hadn't actually exchanged a single word with the Ring-bearer all day, apart from his terrified babblings during the morning. Despite the way Bakura had been so certain that Ryou was 'normal' now, Malik still felt nervous around him. And even if he _did_ try and talk to him, what was he going to say? After all, Ryou still hated him, right?

Ryou, positive that Malik was making a point of not talking to him, assumed it was because of all the things he had done to him last night and lapsed into miserable silence.

Lyra sighed and shook her head at Pan. "Guess we're not far enough north yet," she whispered, holding him against her face for warmth and added privacy. "And we've walked so far…"

He licked her face, the way he always did when he sensed she needed comforting or reassuring. "We'll get to the Witches tomorrow, don't worry."

"There's so little _time,"_ she murmured fiercely. "We don't even know how much of tomorrow they have left."

With no words of consoling left, all he could do was press himself further against her.

Kirjava suddenly let out a trumpeting sound. It caused everyone to look around in surprise, before they registered the fact that she had currently taken the form of a baby elephant to join in with Yugi and Will's game.

"Wow. I didn't know I could make that sound," she remarked casually.

Will tugged on one of her flapping ears. "What did you do that for?"

"Because there's a rainbow or something behind those trees."

"Rainbow? Uh huh, I'll buy that. There's been no rain here for ages."

"How would you know? We've only been in Lyra's world a few hours. Anyway, never mind that, just look!"

He sighed, obligingly cranking his neck in the direction she indicated with her oversized trunk. His expression immediately turned to one of awe.

"Cool! What _is_ that?"

Malik looked up. "…I don't think it's a rainbow."

"Duh. Let's go closer!" Always one to plunge into danger, Lyra got up and promptly ran towards the strange phenomenon, Pan flapping desperately behind her in an attempt to keep up.

…………

"Oh my God," Yugi whispered. "It's beautiful. …But what is it?"

Lyra let out an excited squeal, like the person at the back of the class who suddenly knows the answer. "I saw them before! When I was with John Faa and Iorek. They're the Northern Lights!"

They seemed to have passed from 'it' into 'them', Ryou thought wryly to himself.

"Neat name. But what _are_ these Northern Light thingies?" Yugi asked impatiently.

"I…um…wait, I _do_ know, honest." Lyra wracked her brains for a moment. "Ah. I've got it. Charged particles. Lots of them, and very strong. They cause a…luminous radiation when they interact with the atmosphere."

"Ooooookay. Now why didn't I know that?" Malik raised an eyebrow at her. "'Luminous radiation'?" he quoted. "Where did that come from?"

"I heard my father say it," Lyra said defensively.

"Who is he? A scientist or something?"

"Uh…yeah, kind of. His name is Lord Asriel, not that would mean much to any of you."

"Nope." Malik shrugged and turned back to stare at this thing which Lyra called the Northern Lights. It was definitely pretty, anyway. Not that 'pretty' really did it justice. Looping swirls of colour, the emerald and jade-greens and rose-pinks falling over themselves and into each other, like an artist who has given up and just splatted a load of colour onto his paper, only to find the watery blends of colours rather pleasing after all. It was almost like a curtain hanging on invisible hooks which someone had thrown a few pots of paint at, only the hues and tints of indigo and chrome were far too well blended to be anything created abstractly.

There was a slight tugging feeling at his chest, and he automatically put a hand up, but he had barely raised it before the sensation dissolved.

Just as captivated as the rest of them, beside him Yugi heard Ryou murmur, "that would be so wonderful to try and paint." He remembered suddenly that Ryou like art, and indeed the expression on his face, although stamped with the same feelings of reverence as everyone else, also held the suggestion of a child being denied a long-promised treat. Ryou was in heaven and hell at the same time, having access to this wonderful happening, yet not possessing anything to paint it with.

At last, when the wonder finally began to wear off and they were so frozen they couldn't move, it seemed like a good time to get back to their sleeping bags and go to bed.

Lyra was smiling as they walked back, and when asked why explained: "the last time I saw the Northern Lights we were _really_ far north! Which means we must have come farther than we thought!"

Yugi and Ryou also walked back with smiles on their faces.

"I think we have that in my world as well," Will offered to the blond girl. "Only we call it the 'Aurora Borealis' or something like that."

"I prefer 'Northern Lights.' Its much easier to pronounce."

"It's strange how similar our worlds have turned out to be, isn't it? Maybe we should ask Malik or Yugi or Ryou if they have that in their world as well."

"Yeah, okay. Will, sometime you have to come and stay in my world. I mean properly, not like this. I've got so many things I have to show you. Like Jordan College, and the gyptians, and the daemons. I bet you'll find it so weird, being in a place where everyone has daemons."

"Probably." He glanced at her as he spoke, and was suddenly struck by the realisation that he'd never _looked_ at her properly before. The high cheekbones, brows naturally delicate, and hair falling away and around her face, the darkish-blond hue almost mousy for want of washing. And yet it didn't matter. As he scrutinised her he realised that she was actually –

What? Actually what? He looked down, anywhere, just away, and realised his daemon was staring at Pan, with a look that was considerably softer than any expression he'd seen on her face before.

"You feel it too?" he whispered to her.

"Feel what?" she murmured back. Her voice sound distressed, distracted, yet somehow content. How could so many conflicting emotions be present in one voice? "At least, I feel it, but I don't know _what_ I'm feeling."

Unaware of her observers, Lyra walked easily along the path, feet automatically stepping over small stones and avoiding the bigger ones.

………

As they reached their camp, Will suddenly blinked and said in some disbelief, "…Isn't that…?" He pointed uncertainly to a strand of blond hair sticking out from one of the blankets.

The rest of the group stared.

Eventually, after much hesitation, Malik crossed over to what he had first thought was just a large lump in the blankets, nudged it cautiously with his trainer and ventured, "…Yami? Is that you?"

"…Yes. And you'd better having one hell of a good reason for waking me up." The spirit pulled the blanket more tightly over his head.

"Um…" Uncertainly, Malik looked up at the others. They were simply standing there, mouths hanging open, and he could see he wouldn't be getting much help. (Why are you out? You're supposed to be in your soul room.)

((Because I'm cold and this blanket is the only thing keeping me warm. Also, my soul room smells like shit and I'm fed up with being in it.))

(But…but I don't want you staying out! You'll try and kill everyone!)

His yami lost his temper. Flinging the blanket away, he stood up and yelled, _"Do I look like I'm in any condition to kill anyone? And if I was, don't you think I would I have done so already?"_

Malik met his eyes uneasily and instantly dropped his gaze again, unnerved by the black hatred in them. Although his yami _did _have a point – he was shaking just by standing, and his hair had drooped from its usual crazy spikes into something more like his light's.

Glaring at him, the spirit lay back down and pulled the blankets more tightly around him. Malik stood there uncertainly, not sure whether it was right to try and force his yami into going back into his soul room if he was that weak. But someone else felt no such qualms.

"Seems like _someone_ can't tell when they're not wanted." Ryou strode over to him. Only it wasn't Ryou. Bakura was possessing his light's body; it made him stronger than if he were to split off. He gave the other spirit a kick.

"Fuck off!"

Bakura gave a deranged laugh and kicked him again. Yami Malik let out a partly stifled yelp and curled into the foetal position, arms protecting his head. Bakura promptly targeted his back.

"Why don't you fuck off instead? I don't want a psycho around while I'm asleep."

"I'm not _going_ to kill you!"

"Uh huh, sure. I'll remember that." The kicking didn't cease.

__

"Why can't you fucking well leave me alone?"

"Why should I? Besides, you're the one who kills other people just for the hell of it. That would be the reason we all call you a psycho."

The spirit had stopped struggling; limply letting the blows rain down on him. Feeling suddenly sickened, Malik whispered, "Bakura, don't."

He didn't even bother looking up. "Why not?"

The light grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him away. "Because it isn't fair. He can't fight back."

"Oh? And did he make sure any of us could fight back before trying to kill us? I think not."

"I know, but still…" Malik trailed off, unable to think of anything to defeat this argument.

Bakura smirked and continued his persecution.

"Bakura, please."

The spirit made an impatient sound. "You _do_ realise that even if I do stop, he won't be grateful towards you or anything, don't you? If he gets another chance to kill you he'll do it."

"Yes, I know." His tone was resigned, weary.

Bakura sighed. "…Fine. But don't ask me again." He stopped.

After a few moments Yami Malik uncurled and peeked warily out. _"Finally."_ He curled up again and fell asleep.

Bakura shook his head regretfully. "Malik, you should have been a darker half. Then you wouldn't do things like that."

A shrug. "My loss, I guess."

Bakura shook his head again and retreated to his soul room, leaving Ryou in control.

"What did I miss?" He saw Yami Malik and his eyes became very round. "…Oh."

"He blocked you out then?"

"I don't think he meant to. He just took control in a hurry."

"I see. Um, is it all right with everyone if my yami sort of stays out? I don't think he'll try and hurt anyone."

"You're sure?" Will ventured apprehensively.

"Mostly."

…………

The area of forest in which the group slept was simply a few metres of clearing, ringed by trees. But a few metres is the equivalent of a country when you are only a few centimetres long, and so the tiny creature made its way with extreme caution over to the peculiar lumps growing up from the ground. It was a field mouse. Quite unremarkable really, its coat a muddy no-colour splattered with grey, and needle-like whiskers sticking around its nose like toothbrush bristles. Tiny claws gripped the rough fabric of one of these curious lumps, pulling its way up by sheer will. When it reached the top it began to groom itself in satisfaction, then let out a terrified squeak as the mountain shifted under it and collapsed inwards.

Malik made a sound of disgust as he flicked the mouse off his leg. Disgusting creature. It probably had fleas. He watched it scuttle off into the undergrowth, feet working furiously, and wondered if he should try and impale it with the Millennium Rod, but decided he couldn't be bothered.

He shifted his position slightly, careful not to wake Bakura. The Ring-spirit was lying protectively next to his lighter half, Item hanging sullenly around his neck and body curled up to keep warm. Will was sleeping next to Lyra, his hands very slightly outstretched as if imploring her. Yugi and his yami were wrapped around each other, Puzzle glowing faintly; Malik's other half was at the end, as far from everyone else as he could get. Malik hadn't wanted to be near him anyway, and his yami had said tartly that the very thought of them being less than a metre away from each other repulsed him just by thinking about it. Malik had shrugged at this, his hatred of him dimmed by a vague sense of pity, but couldn't help wishing he'd been even slightly grateful about the fact that he'd stopped Bakura from hurting him. Like Bakura had predicted, Malik was already starting to regret intervening.

__

Now I'll never get back to sleep, he thought in annoyance. But barely five minutes had passed before he nodded off again.

………

Yami Malik stirred uneasily in his blanket. He could feel himself waking up and was desperately trying to fight it – he didn't want to wake up. Because if he did the pain would start again.

But the more he tried to get back to sleep the more awake his mind grew, and he let out a frustrated growl of defeat as it began again, winding its way up his abdomen. It got so _tedious _after a while – the constant agony growing stronger and stronger, gnawing at him until he gave up and couldn't fight it any more; until he gave up and let it wash over him, consuming him.

Shit, he was going to throw up again. He could feel it, had felt enough of that hated sensation over the past few days to know when it would happen. He staggered to his feet, the main thought dominating him being that he wasn't going to do it here, wasn't going to show how much pain he was in. Giddily, he made his way towards the trees surrounding them, only to trip and fall as a white hand snaked out and grabbed his ankle.

"What are you up to?" Bakura materialised in front of him, sneering.

The other spirit shot to his feet, not wanting to show his weakness, the sudden movement causing him to sway. "None of your business."

"It _is_ my business, _Psycho,"_ Bakura replied softly. "If you're planning to murder everyone in their sleep I think I have a right to know."

His temper rising again, Yami Malik gave a bitter laugh. "As a matter of fact, Tomb Robber, I was going off to throw up. And now you are going to step aside and let me past. Or would you rather come with me and watch me do it, just to make sure I'm not lying?"

"Fine, whatever." He stood to one side. "Have fun."

Resisting the urge to hit him only because he knew he couldn't hurt him, the spirit stalked past, visibly shaking with rage. Bakura was smirking.

…………

It was nearly half past twelve - twenty minutes after Yami Malik had gone back to sleep, when Ryou pushed back his sleeping bag and stood up. His mind was tired and wondering vaguely why he'd got up, especially as it was so cold, but this was just a dim protest in the back of his mind. His shadow powers filled all of his consciousness, over-riding everything else with one blissfully simple thought: he was going to Get The Psycho.

He walked around the outside of the sleeping group, stepping soundlessly over his yami. Bakura stirred slightly, and Ryou looked at him coldly for a moment before turning his attention back to his goal.

The spirit was shivering within his covers, and Ryou smiled. He personally found that the bite of the chill night air made him feel alive. Pulling his foot back, he kicked out sharply at the spirit's back, where he knew the tattoos were. He wondered idly if they hurt as much as Malik's sometimes did, or, like the rest of the spirit's form, were just an imitation of his light's body.

His question was answered quickly as Yami Malik let out an involuntary, "Fuck!"

Ryou smiled again.

Yami Malik rolled over, and his eyes went wide as he saw his tormentor. "You _again?_ Can't either of you two leave me alone for one night?"

"I promised you last night that I'd get you. And I keep my promises." The Ring around Ryou's neck was shining almost blindingly, reacting to his shadow-energy. The spirit eyed this warily, before the thought suddenly struck him that he wasn't strong enough to use the Rod anymore.

__

Crap!

"That would seem like an appropriate word to describe your situation." Ryou began to toy with his Item, all the while grinning. "Perhaps…as you can no longer use your Item, you will forget how to activate it. It would be nice of me to remind you, wouldn't it now?"

The Millennium Rod floated out of Yami Malik's pocket, and he made a grab for it, too late. He let out a high-pitched sound as Ryou put out a hand and grasped it easily, and it began to glow.

"It calls to you, of course. Which would imply that I wouldn't be able to use it, or indeed touch it, without suffering some sort of ill effect. But I find that when you have as much shadow-power as I do, you can do most things." He grinned again, and Yami Malik could feel the Rod succumb to him, just like Yugi's Dark Magician.

"So how do you work this thing? Just point it?" The Item was raised, and before the spirit could react the blast bowled him over backwards.

"Hmm. That seemed to work."

His victim shook violently, put out a hand to raise himself, then collapsed.

"Dear me, we _are _weak, aren't we? And what was it you always say? The weak must be eradicated? Nice motto, by the way." Ryou slipped the Rod into his pocket, having finished experimenting with it. "Now Psycho, get ready to be eradicated. After all, it'll make you happy – having another weakling being destroyed from existence. And I want to make you happy."

There was a noise from behind him. "Ra, Psycho, when I told you to go and have fun I didn't think you'd get into something like this." Bakura took in the situation with interest, looking odd without the Ring hanging around his neck.

Ryou turned and smiled at him. "Hello, yami. I'm playing with the Psycho. Do you want to join in?"

His yami looked at him warily. "No thanks."

"Okay then. I want to keep the fun for myself anyway." He giggled. "I'm going to kill the Psycho. It's going to be really fun."

The Ring-spirit shrugged. "Sure, Ryou. Whatever you want."

"Thanks for nothing!" Yami Malik screamed at him.

"I think I'll go back to sleep now. Make sure it's a really drawn out death."

"Rest assured, he will die slowly." Ryou giggled again.

Bakura looked at his light, and for a moment Yami Malik thought he saw that same expression of wariness cross his face, along with disgust. "Well, enjoy yourself."

"I will."

Bakura obligingly stood to one side, while the other spirit simply stared in disbelief.

"Any last words?" Ryou dissolved into a giggling fit. "I've always wanted to say that. Oooh, this is so exciting." He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

Desperate now, Yami Malik strived with all his will to bring back his shadow-powers, but the only result was a brief transparent purple glow around him, and his efforts only exhausted him further.

"So _weeeeeeak._ This is how you really do it." With a muffled whoosh flames blazed around Ryou, and he played with them for a moment, seeing how many different colours he could turn them. He finally decided on purple, and the spirit knew it was to mock him.

"Ryou, wait."

The light sounded impatient. "What? I'm trying to kill someone here."

"I know. But I don't want you to."

"What? Are you turning soft on me?" Ryou looked at him incredulously, while Yami Malik wondered if this was the Tomb Robber's final way to humiliate him.

"I…Oh fuck it, I can't do it. I may be a total bastard, but I still can't watch you kill someone in cold blood like that." The spirit sighed, and scratched his head. "Gods, I _am_ turning soft." He walked round until he stood in between Ryou and the other spirit.

"You disappoint me, yami. Now get out of the way."

"I can't."

Ryou sighed, and almost regretfully made a small movement with his hand, like waving away a fly. Bakura was shoved sideways like a doll.

"Don't make me hurt you, yami. Just stay out of the way."

The spirit tried to get up and run forward, but his light held up a hand and he was pushed back again.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. Killing you."

Yami Malik quailed under his gaze and backed away.

The beam came out of nowhere, stunning him so he fell in a tangle of limbs and shadow-fire. Yami stepped out from behind Ryou, dusting off his hands in a satisfied manner. The other two yamis stared at him as if he were Ra.

"Gods, it would almost be worth fucking your hikari if you could still be as strong as that." Yami Malik didn't realise he had spoken aloud until Yami said coldly, "isn't the word 'thank you' part of your vocabulary? I really don't know why people bother trying to help you."

"I happen to be beyond help," Yami Malik replied frostily, the barest hint of pride audible in his voice.

"Arigato, Pharaoh." The word was said with a smarmy air, as Bakura looked at him with a glance that plainly said, _See? Sometimes it pays to suck up to the Pharaoh._

I don't need to suck up to anyone, the psychotic spirit thought furiously.

__

More fool you, then.

Bakura smirked at the angry look at his face. It was funny how sometimes you didn't need to open your mouth to have a conversation with somebody – their face said it all. He slowly walked over to his hikari, pulling him gently to his feet.

"Ryou?"

His light stirred. "W-what? What happened?"

"You sleepwalked for a bit, that was all. It's okay. No one got hurt."

__

Yeah, no one **important,** _right Tomb Robber?_

"…Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

Feeling a peculiar lump in his pocket, Ryou slowly put in a pale hand and drew out the Millennium Rod. "…How did this get here? Did I take it?"

__

Well, I certainly didn't give it to you by choice.

Ryou looked at Yami Malik in astonishment, and the spirit wondered if he could still read thoughts. Silently the light handed it over. Yami Malik took it, equally silently. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself to open his mouth without screaming at this idiot who had nearly killed him a few minutes ago, and now had no idea what he had done.

"Sorry."

A low growl in return.

__

I didn't mean to. I can't control them.

These words appeared in his head, and he replied without thinking about it.

__

Damn right you can't.

…………

Just ten or so metres away, three men crouched in the thick bushes. They were stiff and cold, having been there for several hours; bad-tempered too, for they were divided over what to do.

One of them rocked silently on his heels, mumbling a prayer as he did so. If it had been day the light would have reflected off the silver cross hanging around his neck. His lizard daemon clung to his shoulder, splayed feet like tiny suction caps.

His companions, or rather one of them, elbowed him sharply to shut him up, resulting in a startled yelp. "Quiet, you fool!"

This was far too much of a golden opportunity to be wasted. Who knew what their reward would be if they came back with such a prize that now lay before them? Riches perhaps, or maybe even a personal congratulations from Mrs Coulter. Although the former was greatly favoured over the latter – none of them wanted to have any more contact with her than was absolutely necessary.

"He doesn't even have a daemon," the third man muttered in a desultory tone. "What kind of person doesn't have a daemon? Maybe he _is_ from another world."

A snort, hastily muffled. "If you mention the Barnard-Stokes thing one more time I'll get someone to excommunicate you. And who said he had to have a daemon? That spirit of his is a good enough substitute." He didn't realise how correct he was. "I say we carry it through. He's asleep now, anyway."

"Yeah, seems to be more dangerous asleep than awake," one laughed.

"Be as that may, either of you wake him up and you can tell Mrs Coulter how you messed up."

"Oh, so you're implying you won't put a foot wrong? That if anything goes wrong it'll be our fault? So much for teamwork."

They continued arguing.

…………

Ryou didn't get back to sleep that night, kept awake by feelings of guilt and worry. Why did he have to keep sleepwalking like that? He could have killed someone. (He wasn't aware that he very nearly had.) His yami had gone back into the Ring, to his consternation - he really wanted someone to talk to.

He could tell he wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping, from the amount of tossing and turning coming from where Yami Malik lay. But he had absolutely no desire to talk to him, having a pretty good idea of how the spirit felt towards him.

Wait. What was that?

He was beginning to find that his shadow-powers were making his body more sensitive to things around him, like moods and thoughts. But he thought that it was something more than that right now – he could _feel_ the presence of someone nearby. Which was stupid, because he was surrounded by the rest of the group. Although it felt a bit further off…the feeling was faint and unclear, but he was sure there were people, strangers, to his left. It wasn't _totally _implausible. After all, there were plenty of places to hide-

__

Stop it, he told himself firmly. _Your imagination's getting the better of you._ And yet he was so sure…

He shrugged and sighed. Maybe he'd go have a look anyway, if only to satisfy his curiosity and give himself something to do. But what if it was dangerous?

After thinking for a moment, he tentatively got up and tiptoed over to where Yami Malik lay, the only other person still awake.

"Y-Yami no Malik?" he whispered.

The spirit shifted and turned over. "…Oh for Ra's sake."

"I'm not sleepwalking. I just wondered…I think there's something over there, and I want to have a look. But if I don't come back in ten minutes, will you wake the others?"

"No."

Ryou sighed and left him, hoping he'd changed his mind. Hopefully he was just bitter from whatever he'd done to him.

………

The first man jolted upright, seizing both of his companions by the shirts. "Look! He's coming!"

__

"What? Why?"

"I don't know!" he hissed. "But if we don't move he'll walk right on top of us!"

"Oh yeah." Suddenly he stopped. "…Hey, what if we do it? _Actually_ do it?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Are you?"

"Fine, take a quick vote. Raise your hand a bit if you think we should kidnap him." He counted. Two against one. He was outnumbered. "Fine. Let's do it."

In an ideal world, it would have been relatively straightforward. And quick. It was, after all, three of them verses one of him. But they were clumsy with excitement, and if one hadn't thought to clamp a hand over Ryou's face he would have called out and alerted the others. As it was, he somehow managed to send one to the Shadow Realm before they knocked him out, and he had no idea how he'd done it.

Actually, one casualty wasn't too bad, the priest mused. Even if they had no idea how he'd died.

…………

A/N: And that's it. Two weeks of work, and 10,000 words. Jeez, these take a lot out of you. Please review! And watch this space, for one day in the hopefully not-too-distant future, you will behold a sequel. Mwahahaha…


	19. Bolvangor

A/N: last chapter up!!! Well, technically speaking it is the second-to-last one, because an epilogue will be up shortly. Make sure you read it – it is essential both for finishing off the story and paving the way for the sequel. This chapter was shorter than the last two, but you can't really blame me, seeing as 11,000 words takes a hell of a long time to think up.

By the way, I have found out how to pronounce Ryou Bakura's name!!! I have a Hong-Kong girl staying with my family during half term, and she's learning Japanese at school. From her, I've learnt 'Bakura' is actually pronounced Ba-kur-ra (the 'kur' rhymes with lure, not lore) so HA! The dub got it wrong! In the dubbed episodes, everyone pronounces Bakura Ba-KORE-ra, and it really pisses me off. And secondly, as to the pronunciation of 'Ryou' (Nearly everyone I know who is into Yu-gi-oh pronounces his name a different way, and is desperate to know the correct version) : it is said Re-oll (both syllables are stressed quickly, especially the second one). Apparently, according to my Hong-Kong friend, the 'u' in Japanese is pronounced like an 'l' (or was it the 'o'? I can't remember).

Personally speaking though, I'm going to carry on saying it the way I always have done, which is Rye-oo. (shrug) I just like it like that. Besides, I can't be arsed to change after so long.

Also, decided to up the rating for this story to an 'R'. This was only because I had a quick read through, and decided there were too many 'f-words' and too much violence generally for it to get away with being a PG-13.

Ouija Board: DEATH

Chapter Nineteen: Bolvangor

When Will woke up, the first thing he noticed was that it had snowed lightly during the night, and there was a light covering of it over their bags, like icing on a cake. He shook his head to dislodge the snow, which was caked in his hair and giving it a salt-and-pepper appearance.

The second thing he noticed was that Ryou and Bakura were gone.

………

Lyra found him staring at the empty sleeping bag as if it was a mirage. "…Where did Ryou go?"

"That's what I'm wondering."

"He probably went to the toilet or something," she said reasonably.

"But his bed hasn't been slept in since this morning. Look, it's covered in snow."

"Oh God." Lyra's eyes went wide. "Are you saying that…that he's disappeared or something?"

A shrug. "I dunno. Did you hear any noises or anything during the night?"

"No, I fell asleep really quickly." She looked almost guilty.

Yugi yawned and sat up. After informing him of Ryou's mysterious disappearing, Will repeated his question about whether he had heard anything last night.

"No. Kami-sama, what could have happened to him?"

Yami tried to comfort him, but he couldn't hide the fact that there was snow on Ryou's sleeping bag, and therefore he hadn't been using it. "Its okay, aibou. He probably just went for a walk or something."

"But-"

Yami glared pointedly at Will, before gesturing to his light, who was starting to look worried. _"Shut up!"_ he hissed.

"Er, fine." Will lapsed into confused, slightly hurt silence.

Yami poked Malik until he woke up, letting out a screech of protest. "Hey! Stop it!"

His yami gave a tired laugh, which caused everyone to look at him. They hadn't realised he'd been awake already, but in fact he'd never got back to sleep since Ryou had last talked to him, and had been watching everyone as they woke up.

"Do you have a problem, _Psycho?"_

"Not at all," the other spirit replied vaguely. "Go ahead and poke him again. It's funny."

Yami shook his head in disgust. "Ra, you're impossible." As an afterthought, he added, "You didn't happen to see if Ryou went off or anything last night, did you?"

"No." Yami Malik didn't quite meet his eyes, a dead give-away if Yami had happened to be looking at him properly. Unlike the other two, he wasn't a good liar – lying called for a certain amount of subtlety, which wasn't one of the dominant traits in his nature.

Yami shrugged and turned away, accepting his answer. Malik was suspicious, however.

"Are you **sure?**"

"Yes."

Malik tried to meet his yami's eyes, but the spirit looked very slightly away. It was enough.

"You _do_ know something, don't you?"

The rest of the group stared at the yami, who shrugged. "Maybe."

"Tell me."

A yawn. Fed up with lying, the spirit said in a bored voice, "Why should I tell you?"

Malik thought for a moment. "…Because if you don't, I'll use the Rod to make you tell me."

Something flickered in his yami's eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

"I'll do it," Yami said in a resigned tone. "How much do you want me to hurt him?" He ignored the look of horror on his aibou's face.

"Not too much."

"You bastards always have to gang up on me." Now he sounded like a fractious child.

"I don't particularly _want_ to hurt you. But if you won't tell me what happened then I'll have to."

"You're mean. I hate you."

"I really don't care." Yami ignored the sudden change of mood - from angry psychopath to resentful child. He was used to it.

Malik felt the familiar nausea rising in his yami again and got an idea. "If you don't co-operate I won't let you back into your soul room. You'll have to stay out."

((That isn't fair. I'm about to throw up.))

(Then tell me quickly.)

"Fuck you!" the spirit yelled out loud.

Malik looked utterly bored. "Yami, I don't care what you think of me. I happen to hate you too. Now what happened last night?"

"Fine," his yami snapped. "Ryou thought there was someone hiding nearby, and went to have a look. He didn't come back. _Now_ will you let me back in?"

"What time did this happen?"

"How the hell should I know? Sometime in the early morning."

"So he was gone over _six hours_ and you didn't do anything? You didn't tell anyone?"

"Why should I?" He didn't mention that Ryou had asked him to wake the others after ten minutes.

"You are _unbelievable,"_ Malik pronounced in total disgust.

"I don't care what you think of me. I happen to hate you too." The words were delivered in a mocking, singsong manner that made Malik's blood boil.

"Fine, get in there. And it's only because I don't want to look at you."

The spirit instantly vanished, a satisfied smirk warping his features.

Malik sighed and started massaging his temples. "Sorry about him."

"Why should you be sorry? It isn't your fault." Lyra drew her furs more closely around her as she spoke. "Anyway, we need to concentrate on what happened to Ryou. Where was he last seen?"

"Over there." Malik pointed wearily. "But there isn't much point looking for tracks. It snowed last night, remember?"

Despite this, the girl insisted on going to look and see if there were any traces of where Ryou had been. There as a lingering scent on the air which made them all wrinkle their noses, and Yami explained it as being excess shadow power, the remains of when a large amount had been used. And a few steps away was the real prize: faint footprints in the snow. They were overlooked by a massive tree, which explained why the snow hadn't settled and removed them.

………

When Ryou woke up, his first thought was that he'd committed some sort of crime and been thrown into a prison cell. And although this wasn't actually true, he could be forgiven for thinking it – he was in a small room, no larger than five metres square, and the walls were slabs of thick, colourless concrete. There were also two important things missing: windows, and a handle on the door.

He got up from the bed he had previously been lying on (a bed which, from its filthy sheets, obviously hadn't been changed for a while) and after his mind had registered the lack of any obvious exit he sighed and sat back down again.

__

So I've been kidnapped now? Great.

Life just got better and better, he reflected wryly. But at least it was something to distract him from the fact that his yami was going –

__

Stop thinking about that.

He exhaled slowly and massaged his temples, as if by doing so he could somehow cleanse his mind of anything which was unpleasant to think. Needless to say, it didn't work. And as boredom and resignation began to set in, his thoughts grew more and more agitated, screaming at him to find a way out of this mess instead of sitting there like an idiot.

He was left alone for nearly another hour, and many would have argued that if his captors had had any sense they would have made it a day, at least. Leaving the prisoner alone and allowing him to wallow in thoughts of helplessness and self-pity was part of the softening up process, after which the victim becomes hopelessly depressed and less likely to put up trouble. Indeed, if there had been the time he would have been left in isolation until the next day. But time was short for the scientists of Bolvangor, and especially so for Bakura.

The door was opened noisily, rusty hinges audibly protesting at this outrage, and a man stepped in.

He was of average height, or perhaps a tad below it, with wide-set watery eyes and uninteresting brown hair which was just starting to thin and go grey. The white labcoat draped around his square shoulders proclaimed him to be 'Dr. H. Cooper'; however, he didn't come across as one of those comforting figures you see all the time in ER and Casualty, resembling more a mad scientist (or perhaps the apprentice) in a cheap horror film.

Anyway, something about him gave Ryou an instant aversion to him; perhaps it was the large gun crammed between his podgy fingers?

"Up. Now." His voice was decisive and invited no arguments, but there was a distinct undercurrent of wariness.

Ryou stood uncertainly, mouth half-opened in the process of forming a question. Dr. Cooper silenced him with a wave from the gun – the uncertain way he handled it showing that he wasn't half as at ease with it as he wanted to be.

"Move."

"Where am I?" Ryou blurted out.

"Lapland," the man replied brusquely, accompanying the answer with a slight tightening of his trigger-finger.

__

"Lapland? How did I get here? And-" as he suddenly remembered how- "you kidnapped me!"

"Actually," Dr. Cooper corrected, _"I _didn't. But that isn't the point. The point is that you are here, and will be staying here until further notice. And now you will be coming with me." His voice suddenly shook. "You try using any of those-those _devil powers_ and I'll shoot you."

Ryou stared. "My what?" He took a step forward.

"Stay away! Don't come any nearer! You attempt to poison me with your evil, you devil spawn!" The words, nearly hysterical, were accompanied by a flick of the wrist as he crossed himself.

The white-haired teenager was tempted to make a dash for the door, half-open and forgotten, but he didn't like the way that gun was being waved around. This man, whoever he was - _Doctor Cooper,_ his mind told him as it took in the name on the badge – could very easily panic and start shooting. He wasn't sure how effective shadow powers were supposed to be against bullets, (this was assuming he could even get them to work) and getting shot really didn't seem like a good idea.

His rabbit-daemon trembling between his legs, the scientist swallowed hard and indicated the door with his weapon. "Get out there. And don't try any…any _funny stuff."_

Thinking that perhaps it would be better to co-operate for now, at least until he got out of range of that gun, Ryou meekly made his way into the outside corridor. Dr. Cooper followed him, prodding him in the base of the spine with the gun-muzzle. Feeling like a war criminal being led to an execution, Ryou put up a hand and felt for the Millennium Ring. Its surface was icy beneath his fingers, and he held it like a good-luck charm as he was poked along the corridor.

"...What's in there?"

"Get away!"

Disregarding him, Ryou stood on tiptoes and peered through a glass window at the top of the door. He was just able to observe it led to a massive sports hall, where about thirty children were playing volleyball, and to register that they all had daemons (the continuous flick-flick-flick as they changed shapes like the camera flash from a persistent photographer) before a panicky Dr. Cooper seized his shirt and dragged him away.

"Who are they?"

"Shut up!"

"Why are they all here? Did you kidnap them too?"

"I told you to shut up!"

Ryou was about to ask another question, when the barrel of the gun was jabbed into his stomach. "Do I have to make you shut you up?"

He shook his head.

"Good."

…………

After what felt like hours they reached what seemed to be their destination. They had wound through so many corridors and staircases that Ryou had absolutely no idea where he was (not that he'd known that before though either).

Dr. Cooper stopped outside a door marked 'Private – Staff Only' and pulled out a string of grimy keys. The door slid open soundlessly, and Ryou felt the traces of unease that had slumbered inside him ever since he had woken up come alive with a growl.

This was a room so big it could almost be described as a chamber. Walls were aggressively whitewashed and the entire room so spotless there was something faintly obscene about it. Two steel cages squatted at the back as if lurking there. These were largely ignored by the people who bustled to and fro amid the indistinct babble of voices; one, a man laden with a clipboard, hurried up to Dr. Cooper while talking excitedly.

"We've just had an extraordinary breakthrough! The-" Having suddenly caught sight of Ryou, he broke off in mid-sentence and oogled him as if he were a celebrity.

"So the rumours were true! They _did_ find a –"

Dr. Cooper pointedly put up a hand to cut him off. "What breakthrough?"

"Wha-ah, yes, that." The man seemed slightly disappointed that he was being made to digress from his excitement produced by seeing Ryou. "…We've just made a new discovery. We believe coating the blade in an alloy of manganese and titanium will yield far more favourable results than have been produced previously. Of course, before the intercision process was so _messy_, but now I predict the death rate will fall to as low as 40…"

"Excellent," Dr. Cooper murmured. All traces of fear when he had threatened Ryou earlier were gone, and his eyes gleamed in satisfaction behind the steel spectacles. "So the manganese absorbs the energy, I assume?"

"Of course. It is channelled through this pipe here, and into these tubes, ready to be stored for later use. The titanium coating also ensures there is a decreased rate of the child dying of shock, which is extremely convenient considering earlier results."

"But of course," the scientist murmured. "And- get back over here _now."_ His remark was directed at Ryou, who had been slinking over to the door. "Don't make me hurt you. It would be an incredible waste of talent."

Ryou stopped almost guiltily, eyes moving back to the gun.

"Has this been tested yet?"

"No. Theoretically, it should work. But we arranged for a test to be carried out, just to make sure." He raised his voice. "Call in subject 8033!"

The steel doors hissed open and a skinny boy of about ten was ushered in, his mouse-daemon clutched in one grubby hand. The other hand held his trousers up, which were threatening to droop past his hips.

Dr. Cooper's voice now held a professional tone to it. Without looking up, he rapped out – "Name?"

"Tony Makarios," said the nurse beside him. Her voice was brisk yet toneless - she might have been a robot for all the emotion she showed. And her daemon was equally monotonous – a small white trotting dog with black eyes that should have been beady but were somehow blank.

"Thank you, Sister Clara." As he spoke Dr. Cooper ticked something off on the clipboard. "Ryou, pay attention to this. You may find it interesting."

"O-Okay." Ryou had been nervously eyeing the door; as the scientist addressed him he jumped slightly and looked guiltily around. The atmosphere in the room was fizzing with a tense excitement, and he picked up on this.

Tony Makarios was guided firmly into one of the steel cages. There was a fine mesh grid between this and the other one; Ryou watched silently as the little boy's daemon was taken in the mouth of another and pulled away from him towards the second cage.

"Where are you taking her?" Tony whispered. "Ratter…"

"She'll be fine," one of the nurses replied automatically. Ryou couldn't suppress a shudder as she spoke – the way her mouth snapped shut after the sentence was delivered reminded him all too well of a machine. Unsure as to what was happening, and wondering vaguely if he should do something about it, he watched in increasing unease as the boy tried to reach for his daemon but was pushed away.

"Give her back!"

Ratter was uttering tiny mews of distress as she struggled against the nurse's daemon's tight grip. In her agitation the little daemon flicked from shape to shape in a desperate effort to break free, changing so quickly her animal body was a blur. But the wolfhound-daemon hung stolidly on.

Suddenly it let out a shrill yelp and released its prisoner, who was now in the form of a porcupine. The wolfhound clawed madly at its mouth, trying to remove the quills embedded within. Ryou saw one of the nurses gasp and place a hand to her mouth, and realised that it was hurting her too. Tony's daemon was snatched up and seized by the scruff of the spiky neck.

The boy immediately ceased struggling, body going limp. "…No…you c-can't do that…it's _wrong…"_

Ratter was flung into the cage like a cast-off piece of clothing, and the door slammed after her.

"Commence separation process."

The man with the clipboard nodded and flicked a switch; Ryou noticed for the first time a heavy silver blade suspended between the two cages, edge glittering dully as it caught the light. It rose, so slowly, and then with a clank came whizzing down. As was fitting for such an event, there was a blinding flash of light.

Ryou opened his eyes slowly, and instantly wished he had not. In one of the cages lay Tony Makarios, slumped on the floor of his prison. In the other was his daemon, Ratter. But while he was unchanged, she had turned paler than smoke. As the white-haired teenager watched, she whimpered and tried to pull herself up.

"And there you go." The scientist sounded as if he had just pulled off a particularly impressive magic trick. "They are now separate entities."

"Excellent…" Dr. Cooper stared at them hungrily. "My congratulations." He made a cursory gesture to one of the nurses; she nodded coolly and removed Tony from the cage. His daemon was taken through into another room.

The scientist's gaze was transferred to Ryou, who was standing there with an appalled expression on his white face. "Interesting, yes? What did you think?" His tone was that of one commenting on the weather.

__

"'Interesting?'" Ryou repeated in a whisper. "It's _sick…"_

Unperturbed - "It is the Will of the Authority. Can you not appreciate the beautiful simplicity of it all? One cut, and now this little boy is free from sin." He smiled, before continuing. "I haven't told you why you are here yet, have I?"

A shake of the head.

"Silly me. You see, your little…antics last night came to the attention of three of our members of the Oblation Board. All the experiments we have carried out so far have been on children with daemons (indeed, we weren't aware that there were any other kind) and we've never encountered anyone with your kind of capabilities before. We appreciate that it isn't your fault that you possess these _satanic_ abilities, which is why we aren't simply going to order you to be destroyed. And we also know about spirit of the Devil inside you, and that he is using you as an avatar."

"I…think you must have made some mistake…" Frightened now, Ryou began to look around for an exit. This place was starting to come across as housing some of the craziest people he had ever met.

"To continue: you're probably wondering why we showed you this experiment. Well, we've discovered recently that when a person and their soul are separated a tremendous amount of energy is released, and this energy can be put to many different uses, depending on what sort it is. For example, this thing you call shadow power –"

He got no further, for Ryou had suddenly made a bolt for the nearest door, moving in a panicked flurry of blue and white. His mind was screaming at him for being so blind – why hadn't he seen it earlier? They wanted to –

"Mmph!" The air was abruptly crushed out of his lungs as someone extremely heavy landed on top of him, pinning him to the floor. "Get off!"

"You are possessed by the Devil!"

"The hell I am!" Ryou writhed underneath him like an oxygen-starved fish, striving desperately to be free.

((Someone appears to be in trouble. Need help?))

(No! I can handle this! Besides, you aren't strong enough! It will just give them another target!)

Heatedly: ((I _am_ strong enough. Now let me out. Are you so arrogant you won't even let me help you?))

(Yami-)

((Let me out.))

Ryou's vision blurred as his yami attempted to split off; he yelled (No!) and shoved him back.

((Do that again and I won't bother helping you. This is my body too, for Ra's sake.))

"Dammit!" The light clawed at the ground, trying to find a grip, as he was grabbed by the arms and pulled backwards along the floor. Fingernails scrabbled uselessly on the smooth tiles, producing a clicking sound that bounced around the walls before plunging into his eardrums. Someone gave him a kick to make him desist, making the room spin. As he concentrated on trying to get rid of the extra walls that had appeared in his vision, his yami made a massive effort and split off.

Ryou was seized by the wrists, and for a moment there was a frantic tug of war between his yami and their opponents before Bakura won and his light went flying forwards on top of him.

((This really isn't the time, Ryou.))

(Very funny.)

His arm nearly popped out of its socket as his yami yanked him roughly to his feet and shoved him forwards. ((The door's that way, you idiot.))

(I know!)

The light reached it a split second before him, nearly pulling off the door handle. (Oh _crap!)_

((It's locked?))

(Of course.)

((Fuck.)) Bakura shoved what little weight he had against the door; not surprisingly, nothing happened. ((Can't you use these shadow powers of yours to help us out? Considering they're the reason we're in this mess in the first place…))

(But I can't control them! They just come out whenever they want!)

His yami began banging his head against the wall in exasperation. ((And this is coming from the person who, when asleep, can send seven people to the Shadow Realm at the same time just by thinking about it, but when awake can't even open a door?))

(…I…suppose so.)

((Great.)) Eyeing the dozen or so scientists who were beginning to close in on them, Bakura tugged his deck from his pocket. "Summon Maneater Bug!"

The monster appeared, flickered, and vanished.

((I can't believe I can't even summon a Duel Monster anymore.))

Ryou let out a frustrated snarl and snatched the card off him. As soon as his fingers came into contact with it the Maneater Bug appeared again in a whirl of fangs and acid in front of them. "Attack them!"

((So you can't control your powers, hmm?))

(Some of the time.)

On seeing the monster, Dr. Cooper turned on another occupant of the room, who had so far been standing in the corner and trying to attract as little attention as possible. "Get rid of that thing now!"

"What?" the figure exclaimed. "I'm not helping you out any more than I have to! And in case you've forgotten, I happen to be on _his_ side!"

Growling, the doctor gestured to one of the nurses, who held up a limp bundle of feathers and limbs by the neck. "I said, get rid of that thing _now. _Or I'll get rid of _this_ thing instead."

The woman's eyes flickered to her daemon, and the pain reappeared in them. "Bastard."

The nurse's grip tightened, and the goose-daemon let out the tiniest possible whimper.

__

"Fine!" the woman screamed. Within a second the Maneater Bug exploded in a shower of rainbow sparks. Immediately, every scientist in the room, who had previously been edging away from it, charged to the door, which Ryou had managed to blow off its hinges a second before.

The aforementioned light was running down the corridor, followed by his yami and pursued by so many people it was ridiculous.

(Where do we go?)

((How about out of here?))

(Yes, but _how?)_ Ryou's speech was abruptly broken off as he was grabbed by the shirt and bowled backwards for the second time that day. A moment later they were being crushed beneath a heap of fanatical scientists.

((Well, this is, need I say it, extremely uncomfortable.)) Even when he was being forced with the prospect of being physically torn out of his host, Bakura couldn't help but voice a wry comment.

They were both dragged back into the laboratory, Ryou struggling like a wild animal and his yami barely strong enough to put up a fight. Ryou was desperately trying to make his shadow powers surface again, but it was like they had been turned off – he simply _couldn't _get them to work. A blow to the head made him gasp and double up, and in that moment he was grabbed around the waist and pulled towards the cage. His yami made a wild lunge for him and their fingers touched for a fraction of a second, before they were wrenched apart, both flung to the ground and to their separate prisons.

White hands poked through the bars, straining to reach his other self. (Yami, you have to go back into the Ring!)

Bakura's body turned transparent, and then back again. ((It's like there's something in the way…it's holding me back…))

"Expected outcome?" Dr. Cooper asked loudly.

Another scientist, panting hard from the struggle, consulted the clipboard. "Taking into account the spirit's condition, it is likely he will die almost instantly. The boy will survive for approximately ten minutes, more than enough time for us to extract all needed energy, this so-called shadow power-"

"You can't do this," the woman whispered. "How many more children will die for the sake of Dust?"

"Enough, don't worry," Dr. Cooper snapped. "And be quiet, witch. Your complaining is becoming tiresome."

Ryou's head snapped round at the word 'witch.' _"Serafina?"_ he exclaimed incredulously.

She met his eyes, and her gaze was filled with pain. "Ryou…I'm sorry…"

"How did you get into all this?"

"They made me tell them where you were," she whispered. "They said they'd hurt Kaisa…it was he who stole the alethiometer…"

"Bitch," Bakura spat.

"They made me!" Serafina screamed at him. "You don't have a daemon; you've no idea what it's like! I'd do anything if it meant stopping him from getting hurt!"

"Even betraying people who trusted you?" the Ring-spirit asked coldly.

"Yes." Casting a glance at Dr. Cooper, she mouthed at Bakura: _Take off the Ring._

"Gold can be melted," the scientist interrupted calmly. "We don't have the facilities here at The Station, but I'm sure the bears will find a way. They can do astonishing things with metal." A nasty smile. "They'll do anything we want them to. Mrs. Coulter has Iofer wrapped around her finger tighter than her wedding ring. She still wears it, you know. Anyway, all this talk is amusing, but I think we will get on with the intercision. Seeing as the spirit only has a few hours left anyway, it would probably be kinder to give him a quick death."

Bakura clenched his fists.

(He is right, in a way. At least it won't be as drawn out as it could have been.)

((But I would have died being a part of you.))

(You could still take off the Ring. Then you won't feel anything.)

((And leave you to suffer alone, after all this? You underestimate me.))

Ryou gave a small smile. (You wouldn't have said that a few days ago.)

((Yes, I know. I really am getting soft.)) There was a slight humming sound as the blade began its slow journey upwards. Bakura's eyes followed it for a moment, before turning back to his host. ((I never apologised for all the things I did to you, did I?))

(…No. But it doesn't matter.)

((Ah well. It's a crap time to say it, but I'm sorry for all those times I hit you.))

(It's okay.)

((Strange, how I wasn't frightened when I found out I couldn't survive in this world and was going to die. Maybe because it wasn't a final death. But I think this one is going to be. I guess that's why I'm frightened now.))

(So am I.)

There was a clang as the blade reached the top. Neither half looked at it, but both shivered.

(I…I can't believe we're actually going to die.) Ryou knew he should be screaming and kicking at the bars, but his mind had gone completely numb.

His yami gave a sad sort of smile. ((I wish I possessed your self-denial.))

In reply, Ryou reached through the bars. His yami did the same, and their fingertips brushed against each other.

((You're going to lose a couple of fingers when that blade comes down.))

(I don't care.)

((I didn't think so.)) Pause. ((Well, see you in some other lifetime.))

(G-Goodbye.)

The blade came rushing down, gathering speed as it went. It was almost possible to see the particles of energy which bound the two souls together crackle and break apart.

**__**

"Bastards!"

Something gold whizzed through the air so quickly it hissed, striking the blade full on. It shattered into two pieces and fell to the ground.

Malik stepped carefully out of the newly cut window as if what he had just done was something that happened every day, seemly oblivious to the effect he had caused. Will was right behind him, subtle knife in his hand.

The splintered remains of the titanium and manganese blade lay scattered on the floor, along with the Millennium Rod, which had its blade extended.

"Nice throw, Malik."

"Thank you. It comes from spending so much time with Bakura."

Yugi and Lyra stepped out of the window, a lot less confidently than Malik and Will.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun and all, but you're going to have to let them out now. The party's over."

"We're only just beginning, actually," Dr. Cooper said coolly. His eyes swept over this cocky blond teenager with the purple eyes, and his tone turned sneering. "How exactly do you intend to set them free? This happens to be the only set of keys." He waved them tantalisingly in the air.

A moment later Serafina had grabbed her cloud-pine branch and swung it into the neck of the nurse holding her daemon. Kaisa shot out of her grasping fingers and dived straight for the rabbit-daemon huddled at Doctor Cooper's feet. The two daemons rolled over and over, and the scientist lost his footing as his daemon was shoved into the floor. Malik immediately snatched up the keys from his outstretched hand.

"Are all rescue missions supposed to be this easy?" he queried to Will. "We haven't exactly done much so far, apart from stand here and look vaguely intimidating."

"I don't think so. Maybe we're just lucky." As he spoke Will lunged for Dr. Cooper, bending his arm up his back. "Call them off." He indicated the scientists grouped around them with the subtle knife. "Or I'll break your arm."

"He will, you know," Malik said in an absent tone. "It isn't hard." He walked round, inspecting Will's grip. "Not bad. Up a bit."

"That better?" The black-haired boy hoisted the limb up slightly higher, resulting in a squeak from Dr. Cooper.

"Perfect." Malik retrieved his Item from amongst the broken shards and brushed it off against his shirt. There was a sort of easy confidence in the way he walked around the room, the kind that held the other scientists frozen in place when they should have been trying to attack him. Malik generally had that air about him; he was the sort of person who, when he enters a room, everyone stops and stares at, just because he was obviously so sure of himself. Or, as Bakura would put it with a grin, he was an arrogant bastard who had the (mis?)fortune to be extremely good-looking.

Anyway, the Egyptian strolled casually over to the cages, followed uncertainly by Yugi and Lyra, whose trepidation was far more obvious. He then proceeded to unlock them.

One of the nurses let out a high-pitched sound and looked at Dr. Cooper, who suddenly shouted, "Get them!"

There was a crack, and his face flooded white.

"I told you to make them clear off," Will hissed in his ear.

"But-"

"Do it." The grip was transferred to the other arm.

Lips grey and chewed as he tried not to cry out, the scientist gestured frantically at his associates, who backed off with puzzled expressions. After another minute and more instructions from Will, the room was cleared.

"You okay in there?"

"Just about," Ryou answered dazedly. He climbed carefully out of the cage, and Malik moved over to release Bakura. The Ring-spirit half-fell out of his prison, and his friend caught him just in time.

"'Kura?"

"I…I'm fine." He made an attempt to stand unaided, before falling over again. Malik pulled him gently upright, trying to make it look as if he wasn't supporting him as much as he actually was.

"You have to hold on for a bit longer or Ryou will get worried," he whispered fiercely.

"Can't…"

Yes you can. Now stand up. On your own. Normally, it would have been a lot harder to control another Millennium Item holder, as their Item would protect them from the Rod, to a certain extent. But the Ring managed no more than a feeble flash before it succumbed, and Malik could feel its power waning.

He moved the spirit so he could lean against the wall. Bakura's eyes were cloudy, and Malik was certain it wasn't just because he was under the influence of the Rod.

There was a red mist in front of Bakura's vision; he blinked, slowly, but it didn't go away. The room and its occupants were becoming blurry, and it was getting harder to make out faces. The Millennium Rod was like an iron vice gripping him to the wall, and he struggled feebly against it.

"Bakura?" Malik felt his weak attempts at fighting the Item's control, and decided, against his better judgement, to let go. As soon as this happened the spirit retched and then vomited all over the floor. "Shit."

Bakura gazed dully at him, and Malik realised that this was the first time he had actually seen the spirit throw up. Ryou had seen too; he crossed over to them, concern and guilt written clearly on his face. When Bakura took in the fact that his light was worried he immediately vanished back into the Ring, leaving Malik feeling as if he had just taken part in a crime.

"Why does he always try and hide it from me?" Ryou's voice was filled with bewildered hurt. "He doesn't attempt to act as if nothing is wrong with _you._ Am I only one who isn't allowed to feel sympathy for him?"

Unable to think of a reply, Malik stared helplessly back at him.

Meanwhile, Serafina had gone over to Lyra, holding the alethiometer. "This belongs to you. Also, I must apologise for taking it."

The girl stared. Comprehension dawning, she whispered, "It was _Kaisa _who took it?"

"They said they would hurt me if he didn't," Serafina explained bitterly. "He loved me too much to refuse." She cradled her daemon as she spoke.

Lyra stared uncomprehendingly at the alethiometer, and in a dreamlike state slowly began to turn the hands, as if unable to believe she had got it back. Then, as if she had been struck by lightning, the reminder flashed into her mind that the alethiometer knew how to help the yamis. Gasping at herself for forgetting, she hastily swung the hands round, and there was a distant click as they locked into place.

"What does it say?" Ryou whispered. He was hugging the Ring to his chest as if by doing so he could transfer some of his life's warmth to his other.

"Wait a moment." Lyra frowned as she bent over her symbol-reader, eyes tracing the paths of the hands. They moved in a more convoluted pattern than she had ever seen before, and felt as if they could go on forever.

Eventually she blinked and sighed, still staring at it. Will nudged her, and she looked up dazedly. "What? Oh." Pause, as she tried to remember what it had been saying. "…Oh God! My hair!"

They all stared at her.

"My hair!" she repeated. "Will, you have to cut it off!"

He looked blankly at her. "Lyra, are you sure you're fe-"

"No, listen," she said impatiently. "There's a bomb-"

Malik looked up. "A bomb? Did I hear that correctly?"

__

"Yes. Will, _listen._ There's a lock of my hair that's shorter than the rest. You have to get the Subtle Knife and cut it off."

Will gaped at her. "What? How I am supposed to know which bit? And why?"

"There's no time, now _do_ it!"

He shrugged, humouring her, and parted her hair to begin the search. "…Hey, you're right. There's a bit near the top that's way shorter than it should be. Like someone cut most of it off or something. You want me to cut off the rest of it?"

"Right to the scalp. And collect them all up. Don't miss any."

He was silent for a moment as he worked, while everyone else stared at Lyra, convinced she had gone totally mad. Malik was wondering if this was some sort of ritual for people from Lyra's world.

"Okay. Done."

She turned to face him, flustered. "Great. Now open up another world, any one, and dump the hair in it. Whatever you do, don't leave a single strand behind."

Obediently he cut into the air, and felt the knife-blade meet rock. Slowly he cut around it, leaving a small cavity, and placed the hair inside, before replacing the rock again.

Lyra was jumping from one foot to the other in agitation. _"Hurry up!_ Now close it!"

"All right, all right." He had been about to say 'keep your hair on' but decided it wouldn't be appropriate right now. Feeling for the elusive edges, he closed the window to the other world.

The blond girl visibly relaxed.

"What the hell was all that about?" Will asked her.

Serafina suddenly let out a gasp. "I think I know-"

Ignoring her, Lyra explained, "The alethiometer told me that a little while ago, when I was with…with Mrs. Coulter, she cut off a small strand of my hair. I'm not sure what she wanted to do with it, but later on the President of the Consistorial Court of Discipline (I _think _the alethiometer meant him) got hold of it. You know, my hair. And he's working with some of the scientists from here, and together they've created this bomb which, when they put my hair in it, it'll seek out the source of it and destroy me. And all of you as well, because it's such an enormous bomb."

"What does this have to do with us getting home?" Yugi asked.

"Because it's going to be such a massive explosion that it's going to tear apart the lining that keeps the different worlds separate. It's going to create access to around twenty worlds at once. And your world is going to be one of them."

Silence, while everyone digested this.

"…So when is this explosion thing going to happen?" Malik questioned.

"…In about five minutes."

"You're _serious?"_

"Yes. That was why I was so anxious for Will to chop off my hair so quickly. I don't want to be blown apart. And I daresay none of you want to be, either."

"Definitely not."

"I can't believe we're going home," Yugi marvelled. "I mean, it's been great meeting you guys and everything, but I'm getting a bit fed up of all these alternate worlds."

"I know how you feel. Lyra and I have been travelling around these things for months."

"Months? Why? What have you been doing?"

They both looked shifty. "…Things."

"Fine. Don't tell us."

"It's nothing very serious," Will said hastily. "Just things like acquiring the Knife and battling against Spectres and rescuing the alethiometer from this awful old rich guy who stole it and took it back to my world."

"You mean it has been stolen before? Ra, what is it with that thing and people wanting to steal it?"

"I dunno," remarked Lyra with a shrug. "It isn't like anyone else can read it or anything."

Just as she spoke there was a distant rumbling sound from under their feet and the ground trembled, rocking them from side to side.

"Um, are you sure you got this right? The bomb isn't going to go off in this world instead, is it?" Malik eyed the ground in some apprehension.

"Pretty sure. I think this is just the after effect happening in the different worlds."

Ryou and Yugi were standing there as coolly as if nothing was happening. Picking up on this, Lyra queried, "Why are you both looking so calm?"

Yugi shrugged. "We get earthquakes in Japan all the time. You get used to it after a while."

Malik stared. "Earthquakes in Japan? Since when?"

"They've been happening for a couple of thousand years," Ryou said with a yawn. "Our country is right on the edge of one of the Earth's plates. You should pay more attention in Geography."

"In what?"

The entire group stared at him. "…What kind of school do you go to?" Will asked in disbelief.

"I don't. I get taught at home by a tutor."

"But still, you must learn _Geography, _surely?"

"No."

"My God."

"Are we going to try and find the location of the opening to your world or not?" Lyra interrupted impatiently. "Because while you all stand around talking your souls happen to be dying."

Yugi looked as if he'd just been slapped in the face. "…I…"

"That was harsh," Will said quietly to Lyra.

"I know, but the fact is that we're running out of time." She sighed and passed a hand across her eyes. "The only problem left is where this opening is."

"Ask the alethiometer," Serafina suggested. She hadn't spoken since before Lyra had made Will cut off part of her hair, and the group had almost forgotten she was still there.

Lyra blushed. "Oh yeah." The symbol-reader was duly taken out again and consulted. "…Oh, that's easy. It happened near where we came out from the World of the Dead. Come on everyone, let's go."

………

It took less than an hour for them to go back to where the explosion had happened. Serafina was flying above them with Kaisa so they could be forewarned if anyone approached, her shadow passing over their faces as she flew to and fro.

Delighted at the thought that soon they would be going home, and that the yamis would be saved, Yugi was at his most talkative. It was the most Ryou could do to get a word in edgeways, but he didn't really mind. Malik was trying to persuade Will to let him take another look at the subtle knife, and Lyra was discussing with her daemon what sort of shape he'd choose to take when he stopped changing.

"You **will** stay furry, won't you? I want to be able to cuddle you at night."

"I don't even know when I'm going to stop changing."

"I know. It seems really weird, but do you remember when neither of us wanted you to ever settle? Because now it seems like quite a good idea. We can see what kind of personalities we have."

"I'd quite like to be a bird, like Kaisa. Then I could fly everywhere.

"But then I can't hug you! You'd be all feathery."

"There are more important things about the shape I settle in than how furry it is."

"I suppose. But I want you to be a _nice_ shape. You won't be a pelican or something will you?"

"God, no."

"You could fly really far," Lyra said dreamily. "And I could send you to another country, couldn't I? Have you noticed that since we went to the World of the Dead you've been able to go further away from me than before?"

"Not really. But I haven't tried much."

"You should. It would be amazing if you could go miles and miles away from me, like a witch's daemon."

He shrugged and cuddled closer to her, ermine-shaped. She cuddled him tightly back, feeling his fur tickle her face.

"Is this the place?" Will asked her, breaking off from his conversation with Malik. His eyes met hers and for a moment Will felt that same electric thrill as before.

Startled, she looked around, tearing her eyes away from his. Why was he looking at her in such a… "Oh…yes, it is."

There was a gaping hole before them, so massive and raw it seemed like an open wound in the face of the Earth. Several hundred metres across, and at least double that in depth, the sides fell steeply away into nothingness, so that all you could see after the first few metres was black. It oozed the appearance of a bottomless hole, and Will thought that if you were unlucky enough to fall down it you could fall for hours or maybe even days before you hit the bottom in a splintered heap of bones; and even then you might have died of thirst before you stopped falling.

"What's Dust?" Ryou asked out of nowhere.

Lyra stared at him as if he were a space alien. _"What?"_

"I said, 'what's Dust?'"

Will stared at him, then at Malik, then back at Ryou. "Have you _all_ been listening on the conversations I have with Lyra?"

Ryou sounded astonished. "No. Why would I want to do that? I only asked because it's all around us." He waved an arm vaguely in front of them.

After a pause in which everyone looked uncertainly around, Will said slowly, "I know, but it isn't supposed to be visible to the naked eye."

"Don't be silly," Ryou told him dismissively. "Of course it is. I can see it. It's orange." He gazed dreamily around them, eyes slightly unfocused.

"…Um, okay. How do you know it is Dust? How did you even hear of the stuff?"

"I hadn't until a moment ago. And they told me themselves." He gave a vague smile. "It's pretty."

Will signalled for Serafina to come down, and she did so a moment later, alighting gracefully on the grass. "What are you all waiting for?"

"…Ryou says he can see Dust."

Serafina looked completely dumbfounded. "He can? What is it doing?" The question was addressed to Ryou.

His eyes travelled slowly over them. "It's…encircling us. I think humans attract it, because there's far more around us than around that tree, for example. It looks like we have an orange aura or something."

"An aura?" Will repeated.

Ryou smiled. "They're different. She doesn't have any." He indicated Lyra. "Well, no, actually she has a bit. It's growing. You have that too. It's starting to cling to you more and more every second. And Serafina has _loads._ Only it doesn't make her harder to see or anything. It actually makes her clearer."

The witch was looking immensely interested. "Have you ever seen Dust before?"

"No." Ryou was still looking around. "Your yami doesn't have any," he added casually to Malik. The Egyptian seemed taken aback.

"What, you can see him? I thought he was in his soul room." He started looking around with a worried expression.

"He is. But I can still see him. He's looking at me." Ryou didn't elaborate further, simply staring hard at a space next to Malik.

Will was, to put it frankly and in his own words, 'weirded out.' "Why is Ryou seeing Dust and no one else? And what does it mean? Because you seem to be forgetting that, for all the times Lyra and I have encountered or heard about the stuff, we have no idea what it does."

"We witches have a few ideas. We do know that it seems to have been around almost as long as humans have existed; also that it is attracted to us, and to adults more than children. But as to what it does or what effects it has, we are as ignorant as you are."

"It's falling into that chasm," Ryou said suddenly. "Really quickly! And it isn't coming back! We have to stop it!"

Blank looks from everyone. "Huh?"

"I guess some of it must be replenishing every second, or it would all run out. But we have to stop it all falling away!"

"…How?" Will finally managed. "…We can't even see it!"

"Why can't you? It's in front of you!" Ryou sounded almost impatient – a rare emotion for him.

"What is? I don't even understand what this Dust thing is!" Yugi protested. "And in case you've forgotten, we have to get back to our world in a matter of hours or our yamis are going to die, and us with them!"

"But we can't just _leave_ it-" Ryou was staring desperately at the gaping hole. "It's important, I know it is! You can't let it all be lost!" He couldn't explain the reasoning behind his conviction, only that he knew he was right.

"Then _we'll _do something about it," Lyra said suddenly, surprised by the strength and conviction in her voice. "You three have to go back to your world. This thing is happening to _my_ world, and Will's. It's up to us to deal with it."

"What, this Dust thing just appears in your two worlds?" Malik demanded, suspicious. "I don't think that's true. I think it affects _all_ the worlds. So it's up to_ all_ of us to sort it out."

"Without trying to be selfish, I think the first thing us three should do is go into our world again," Yugi told the Egyptian. "Then we can come out again and discuss this."

"What, just pop in and out of our world, and that'll heal our yamis? Can we do that?"

"Don't see why not," Will said with a shrug. "This guy Lyra and I knew, called Sir Charles, he used to do have a secret window which no one knew about, and would just go in and out every now and then so his daemon could stay healthy."

"What happened to him?"

"Lyra's mother killed him. With poison."

"Don't call her that," the girl said with a flash of anger. "Call her 'Mrs. Coulter.' As far as I'm concerned, she isn't my mother."

"Sorry," Will answered humbly.

Malik was curious, but knew better than to ask. He knew from experience how embarrassing it was when people asked awkward questions about dysfunctional parents. "So how do we get back to our world again?"

"Through one of these windows." Will pointed to a massive hole in the air just ahead of them. It resembled a stained-glass window in that it was split up into thousand of openings, like panes of glass, the edges of which being jagged and fractured. But instead of each pane being a different colour, they all held within them different landscapes, each belonging to a different world.

"See yours anywhere?"

"You're certain it's here, right?" Malik quizzed Lyra.

"Positive."

"Good, because this might take a while." The Egyptian began to walk to and fro, surveying the different openings like someone inspecting a new house.

Lyra brought out the alethiometer from her rucksack with the intention of asking for a more detailed answer about where their world was, but hesitated as she felt Will's eyes on the back of her head. She turned, fingers fumbling on the velvet cloth. "What is it?"

He flushed, face flooding with colour. "Nothing."

Ryou was watching the Dust around Will with interest: it told him more about the situation than any words ever could. "Don't worry about it," he said quietly to his dark-haired friend. "It's because she doesn't have much Dust yet, but you do. But she'll gain it in time."

Will deliberately pretended to misunderstand. "What are you talking about?"

Ryou gave a small smile, annoying in its knowingness, and shook his head.

Unaware of Will's feelings towards her, Lyra had just received a reply from the alethiometer, explaining that the opening into Yugi, Malik and Ryou's world was near the middle, and parts of Japan would be visible through it.

"That's really strange. Your world isn't aligned with mine in the way that Will's is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that right now we're in Lapland, in my world; and if we opened into Will's world we'd also be in Lapland, but if we cut into your world we'd be in Japan."

"Oh. Strange."

Oblivious to the conversation, Ryou announced to the world as a whole: "the Dust is gone."

"Huh?"

"…Actually, no, I think it's still there. Yes, it must be. But I can't see it anymore." He sounded crestfallen, looking around uncertainly and blinking, like someone who has just lost something.

"I'm sorry to say that that really doesn't disappoint me, owing to the fact that I still have no idea what this Dust stuff actually is." Malik was still searching for the opening to their world. "…Ah-ha. Is this it?"

Yugi went over for a look. "…I think it is!" He let out a cheer. "Now we can go home!"

"Do you want me to make it bigger?" When they nodded, Will unbuckled the Subtle Knife from his belt, carefully undoing the leather fastenings that held it in place. The material felt stiff and sturdy under his fingers, but a simple sideways slip of the knife and it would disintegrate. Unseen by him, Dust glimmered in the air around it, reflecting off its silver blade. He used it to stretch the edges of the opening sideways, like putting a needle under a stitch and pulling it out as far as it could go. He continued doing this until it was almost a metre wide.

Gait jerky and uncertain, like a puppet on a string, Yugi tentatively stepped through the window. At once his face burst into that of wonder, as if finally believing he was in their home world. "It…it's Japan…_our_ Japan…" The Puzzle around his neck was afire with newly found strength, casting shadows over his face as the light radiated forth.

Ryou almost stumbled up to him through the window, feet tripping over each other as every particle of his being strained for its home world. It was like being one of the opposite poles of a magnet drawn inexorably towards the other, and then that sudden surge of energy and contentment as they connected.

"Does it feel any different?" The third Item-holder stepped slowly through, reluctance holding his body back.

"Like I've just been plugged into an electric socket." Ryou's very words seem to hiss and tingle with sparks of power, like a sparkler.

An imperfect reflection of himself shimmered into view beside him. "I swear having an orgasm doesn't feel this good."

__

"Yami!"

"And yet another sensitive and profound comment from our favourite tomb robber." Yami's tone oozed royal disdain.

Bakura gave a mock-bow. "Just as long as it has your approval, Pharaoh."

"I take it this means you want to go back to your homes?"

Silence, in which there was much lip-chewing as the five wrestled against their consciences.

"I don't like the thought of running of and leaving you two to cope with sorting out this Dust," Yami said eventually.

Bakura, who wanted nothing more than to go home as soon as possible, fidgeted but said nothing. Why did the Pharaoh always have to be so unselfish about everything?

Ryou was thinking along the same lines (although not without guilt), and he and his yami exchanged frustrated looks.

"Four," Lyra was correcting the Puzzle-spirit. "And it isn't like we don't have experience. Will and I have encountered Dust before; we know more about it than all of you. Also, this is very much our problem, just like getting home was very much yours. You can share it and have sympathy for us but at the end of the day all that matters is that you solve it. I'm sure you're all dying to go home."

Yami opened his mouth, no doubt about to voice another frustratingly noble and unselfish speech about how friends should stuck together (and in the process setting a good example to his lighter half) but, luckily for those of the group who weren't _quite_ so generous, Bakura jumped in.

"That's _really _thoughtful of you to say so. And the truth is that we really _do_ want to go home. So how about we leave you two to deal with this Dust thing, and go back to our world? I've got this awful craving for Japanese food."

Malik was grinning broadly.

Yami was trying to glare at a certain tiresome tomb robber, who was carefully avoiding his gaze.

"…So I guess this is goodbye then," Will said uncertainly.

"Seems so."

Everyone shook hands (it was an English custom, Ryou explained to a bewildered Yugi and Malik) and Bakura clutched Lyra's daemon, who was clinging to his shirt.

"Don't go," Pan mumbled to him. "You…you can't all disappear like this. We might never see you again."

"You might. Will can find our world now. You should come and visit us all some time."

"We will."

He caught flickers of something which might have been jealously from Malik and Lyra, and hastily handed the daemon back.

One last round of farewells, the familiar litany repeated so many times already it was starting to lose meaning, and then the three Item-holders and the two yamis stepped through the window into their world for the last time.

"Don't forget us," Malik said suddenly.

"Forget you? How could anyone forget you?" Will stared. "Considering the lengths you and Bakura went to to steal my knife, I'd have a hard time not remembering you."

A bashful blink from the aforementioned Egyptian, and an unrepenting grin from the other one.

"That was one of the best things I've ever stolen."

"I preferred the time I got my hands on the Pharaoh's Puzzle." Malik stared dreamily off into the distance.

"Technically it wasn't _your _hands, seeing as you were possessing Bandit Keith at the time," Yami interjected calmly. "And Yugi won it back."

Bakura scowled at the memory. "I know. One of the most wasted opportunities of all time. If Malik had actually _won_ that duel-"

"What the - _you_ were the one who broke my control over him! If you hadn't-"

"But you should be happy that he failed, seeing as if he hadn't I wouldn't be here."

Bakura sighed at what might have been. "A happy thought indeed."

Will and Lyra stared as the three Egyptians started arguing again. "…Are they always like that?" the latter ventured apprehensively.

"All the time," Yugi affirmed. "You get used to it. They like arguing over the past."

"At least you were conscious for all of it," Ryou shrugged, in a rare moment of grumbling. "I don't have any idea what happened during Battle City. My yami blocked me out," he added in response to Lyra's curiosity.

"Oh."

"Anyway, what happened to us going back home?" Malik suddenly broke off from the argument. "We're not going to stand around and yell at each other for the rest of the day, are we? I've wasted far too much of my life doing that already."

"It's fun though," Bakura said sulkily.

"Well, see you all sometime." Yet more handshakes. Then, with a sad smile, Will stepped forward.

The last thing they saw from that world was his arm drawing across the window as he reached for the edge. Then, as if a curtain was being swept across the window, they were gone.

……………

The five figures stood there for a moment, gazing at the space where Lyra and Will had been visible.

"I can't believe they're gone," Ryou whispered.

"I can't believe we were in their worlds for just two weeks." Malik stared at the date on his mobile. "Doesn't it seem like we lived there for months and months?"

"God, yes."

"My grandfather is going to be furious," Yugi piped up. "Where am I going to say I've been? That I accidentally ended up in another world for two weeks? He'll never believe me."

"Isis is going to _slaughter_ me," Malik muttered under his breath. "Especially when she finds out I went round to Ryou's house instead of getting the shopping."

Bakura grinned. "This is the reason why I love the fact that Ryou lives in that apartment on his own. Well, apart from when he has those girls from school bothering him-"

His light's face was so red it could have glowed in the dark.

"You do know that your face clashes with your hair when you do that, don't you?"

__

"Yami!"

…………

A/N: (punches air in triumph) Wohoo! The last official chapter is now FINISHED! Now all I have to do is write the epilogue. I know this chapter wasn't as good as chapter seventeen (I think that was probably my best one anyway), but if it felt bitty it was because I kept stopping and then coming back to it later. Some patches are definitely better than others, but I can't help that. I'm going to try and make the epilogue REALLY good, to make up for crappiness in this chapter. Ra, I put down my work way too much. It comes from being a perfectionist/pessimist. (sigh) Must…learn…to like my work…

Anyway, review! This chapter took waaaaaaay too long to write, which isn't really a good sign quality-wise, but I need reviews to keep my self-esteem up! I write total shit when I'm depressed…


	20. Epilogue

A/N: And heeeeeeere it is! The very last chapter of a very long story (at least by my standards. Do you realise I've spent over nine months on this thing?). Hope you all enjoy it. And please don't forget to review!

Epilogue.

"Yami, teach me how to use my powers."

They were both in the lounge: Bakura spread over the sofa like a blanket, a book trailing absently from one white hand; and Ryou in the armchair, posture straight and earnest, eyes fixed unwaveringly on his other.

The spirit raised his head slowly, and after a moment an expression of surprise slid over his face. "Where did that come from?"

"I've been thinking about what happened while we were in those other worlds, and how I used my shadow powers to do all those things to you, and then when I wanted to use them to help people I couldn't, except occasionally, and that was just luck. I just think it would be better for everyone if I could control them."

Bakura examined the determined look on his face, and a slightly resigned look came into his eyes. "You're feeling guilty about this."

"Yes."

"Don't, Ryou. It wasn't your fault."

"It _was_. And I don't like the idea of having something inside me which I can't control."

A rush of air blew around his face as the yami exhaled heavily. His eyes swept over Ryou, analysing his expression; taking in the way his mouth was set in a stubborn pout, arms folded over his chest in the way Bakura himself often sat. He had never realised before just how forbidding it looked, how defensive.

"Very well. But only if you stop blaming yourself for what you did. It's all in the past anyway."

"I will." Ryou smiled and unfolded his arms, changing before his yami's eyes back into innocent host again. But he hadn't, not really; and wasn't that the mistake which had cost him so dearly before? Thinking that just because Ryou treated the world in such a polite - hell, even naïve - manner meant that was all there was to him?

He looked so young now, eager smile stretched tightly across his face; his bearing radiating barely restrained expectancy, like a child awaiting a long-promised sweet.

"Right." Bakura floundered for a moment, unsure where to begin, and thought he saw a gleam of humour in Ryou's eyes, although it might have been his imagination. "…Well, what exactly do you want me to teach you?"

"Everything," his light answered promptly. "All the things I can do with my powers. Like…I don't know, summoning Duel Monsters. All the things you and Yugi's yami can do. Minus the killing people."

_But that's the best bit._ "All right then. No killing. Summoning a Duel Monster is easy enough; we can start with that and work our way onto more convoluted procedures like shielding and so forth later on." Bakura took their deck from his pocket, and as he drew he felt that familiar light-headed confidence surge through him. This was easy. No crazy lights or anything to worry about; and anyway he had been summoning monsters ever since he had awoken from his three-thousand-year sleep within the Millennium Ring.

He glanced down carelessly at the card, holding it loosely between two fingers, before showing it to his other. "Simply say the monster's name, and concentrate on pooling as much shadow-energy as you feel necessary into the card, while picturing it in your mind. The more you concentrate the stronger it will be. You don't actually have to say the name of the monster, but I find that it helps."

Ryou nodded slowly, digesting this, before reaching out nervously to take a card. "…Dark Magician. We really should give this back to Yugi some time."

His yami raised and lowered a shoulder indifferently.

"Puppet Master."

A screech like the opening of a rusty door, as it flickered into view. Then, a curt wave of the hand, and it vanished again.

_My turn. _Ryou scrunched up his eyes and glared at the card in his hand, mind straining. "…It isn't working." His voice shrill with frustration and dismay. "I can't get them to come out! This is exactly what happened in that place with the scientists! It's like they've just frozen!"

"You're too tense," his yami pronounced flatly.

"I _know,_ but I can't help it." Ryou was becoming even more agitated, even as he tried to calm his mind, which felt like there were dozens of greyhounds streaking around inside it.

After five minutes had passed, in which the teenager tried with unvarying failure to bring his powers to the surface, Bakura took to tapping his foot in irritating monotony, signalling his displeasure.

"I'm trying, really!"

"Of course."

"It isn't my fault-"

The Ring-spirit gave a tight-lipped, altogether unpleasant smile. "I know. In fact, it is mine. I shouldn't have expected you to do something as laborious as getting your powers to come out _on your own._ Or perhaps the mere simplicity of the command was strenuous?"

Ryou stared; then his gaze hardened. "Don't talk to me like that."

A small sigh; a shake of the head; a brief, indulgent smile.

_"Stop it!"_

"I'd rather not."

**_"Stop it!"_**

The distant roar in the background, as fire filled the room. The teenager's eyes burned with an incandescence so intense Bakura could almost feel the heat on his skin.

_"Finally._ I was beginning to wonder how much longer you would take."

The flames flickered and fell away into themselves, as Ryou said uncertainly, "…You…you were doing that on purpose?"

"If by 'that' you mean being a bastard, then yes."

"Oh."

"It worked though, didn't it?"

The light hung his head slightly, eyes downcast and studying the floor. "I…thought you meant it."

_Ah, the gullibility of lighter halves, _Bakura thought idly. Aloud: "Ryou, don't be an idiot. You are so trusting you sometimes border on naïve. I thought we'd both realised that the days of me hurting you are over. And, face it, I have better things to do with my time."

"You do know that when I act all miserable and doubt you like that, you're supposed to reassure me and maybe give me a hug or something instead of telling me I'm an idiot?"

An unconcerned shrug. "I figured it would have the same effect. But I can give you a hug if you want."

Slightly bemusedly: "If you want to."

"Of course I do. You're nice to hug."

Ryou smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"It's-aw, don't look at me like that. I'm starting to feel guilty." Bakura stepped forward and carefully held him, heart twisting as his mind noted how fragile his light felt in his arms. "…So _warm_." The words were whispered in Ryou's ear.

Ryou wriggled uncomfortably. "You unnerve me when you say things like that."

"Why is that?" The spirit pressed himself further against him. "Is it because I'm dead and the only warmth I feel is that of your body? Your liiiiving waaarmth?" He couldn't resist drawing out the syllables of the last two words.

"Yami, you're beginning to creep me out." Ryou's tone was oddly matter-of-fact.

"That would be the whole point." Bakura pulled away with a speed that indicated dismissal. "How did we get to me hugging you? I thought I was teaching you to summon Duel Monsters."

Ryou nodded, slightly subdued at being waved aside so airily, like a persistent and irritating fly.

"I trust you haven't forgotten how to focus your powers already?"

"No." Frowning as he pushed the thought away, he tried to gather the fire that burned inside and direct it in its entirety at the card in his hand, feeling the flimsy paper it was made of. Like him, this card had hidden depths. Unlike him, its limits were known.

"I summon Dark Magician!"

It didn't just shimmer into view - it _burst_ into life like a ball from a cannon. He stared at it, seeing it real and physical and solid before him, and without realising it his mind mentally ran its eye over the body, adding details beyond those printed onto the card. A belt buckle, an extra strand of hair poking out from under the hat, felt patching the holes in its tattered sleeves-

"Having fun?"

He plummeted back to earth, and felt the familiar heat creep up his neck, bringing with it its humiliating red dye. "Yes." He hesitated, wanting to say more but embarrassed to do so, before blurting out: "It's so _easy."_

His yami gave a smile, his tone thoughtful. "You are very talented."

"Th-thanks." He didn't blush this time but _glowed, _crimson flush spreading over his cheeks.

The Dark Magician regarded him solemnly from under the slightly-too-large hat, before dropping to its knees and prostrating itself before him.

"Such humility," Bakura remarked wryly. "I only wish my own monsters showed me that kind of respect."

Ryou turned his gaze back upon the Dark Magician; it straightened up and gave Bakura the finger.

"Why you-" Dark Necrophia seemed to leap out of the card as the Ring-spirit jabbed a finger at the Dark Magician; a moment later she was sent sprawling to the ground with an indignant squeal.

"2500 attack points," Bakura said moodily, a moment later. "I forgot." He sighed and gestured at his monster; she retreated willingly. "And what do you think you are sniggering at?"

"Nothing," his light answered meekly.

"Bollocks. I'm not stupid. Not _that_ stupid, anyway," Bakura added as an afterthought. "So. We've done summoning monsters; what do you want to try next?"

"Shielding?" Ryou offered hopefully. "I want to be able to do something if someone attacks me."

"You _can_ do something: you can send them to the Shadow Realm. From what I've seen, it doesn't seem to require a lot of effort on your part."

"But I don't want to kill anyone."

"Trapping someone's mind in the Shadow Realm and killing them are quite different things," the Ring-spirit told him sternly. "Although after a while they have the same effect. A body can only survive without a soul for a little while. After that, it just…gives up."

"Is that what happened to all my friends who you put in those dolls?" Ryou asked quietly.

Without shame: "Probably. It's been several years." Carrying on so his light wouldn't have a chance to ponder on this: "Shielding takes a lot of energy. You'll probably be exhausted afterwards. But less the second time. And it will be worth it."

Ryou gave him an unhappy look at steering so forcefully away from the fates of the people his yami had trapped so many years ago, before holding up the card as a sign for the Dark Magician to return to its shadowy oblivion. It did so, but not before giving him one last bow.

"So how do you do it?"

"The key element is visualisation. You have to be able to _see_ it in front of you before it appears. You have to be able to hold the image in your mind, while concentrating on the physical world as well. And what you need to see is like an aura of light around you, only solid. Shields are fatiguing because to make them effective you have to pour all your energy into them. But a good shield can easily repel objects, people and even someone else's shadow power. They can also help with dealing with the more unpleasant effects of a Shadow Game."

"Why don't you use them in that way?"

Bakura let out an impatient snort, heavily marked with disdain. "Because I'm not going to let my opponent know how much the game is getting to me, am I? Besides, it's only pain." He raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "There are far worse things, you know. Now, let's see you shield."

Ryou obediently did what his yami had described, trying to visualise a barrier around himself. Immediately pale blue washed over his vision, as he viewed the room from behind the safety of his screen.

"Not bad." Bakura eyed it critically, before raising a hand and stabbing a finger into the vibrating mass of shadow-matter. His light saw the skin squish at the sides, like pressing your nose against glass.

Without warning, Bakura seized a cushion from the sofa and lobbed it at him. It bounced off and tumbled to the floor.

"Not bad at all."

Ryou felt the shield around himself shudder and suddenly flicker, and doggedly shoved even more power into it, feeling his light-headedness increase as he did so.

"Try pushing this away." A beam of energy squirted from the Ring, and Ryou thrust his barrier outward, to meet and negate its effects.

Without commenting, the yami took a step forward and this time Ryou felt something nearer to his full strength, although he could still feel him holding back. There was the uncomfortable sensation of being a loaf of bread in an oven, with the pressure closing in on you from all sides, and the heat increasing. He discovered he couldn't push this away as he had been able to do before, and instead had to concentrate on simply resisting, feeling the pressure grow and grow and grow.

Bakura pushed harder, wearing his defences down, and Ryou's shield crumbled away into nothing. Before any of the energy could hit him Bakura pulled it back into the Ring, like yanking on a leash, and his light felt a tiny flicker of envy that his yami had so much control over his powers.

"That was good."

"Not really," Ryou mumbled. He felt suddenly, shockingly useless.

"You need to work on your self-esteem," his other told him. "Considering that was the first time you had consciously done it, I thought you did rather well. All you need is practice."

Cue the self-conscious smile.

"You can try on me now." As he spoke Bakura brought up his own shield, and his light could feel the power in it. "Just hit me with everything you've got. You can't hurt me, don't worry."

Perhaps it was the confidence in that last sentence, or just the general feeling that he wanted to do _something_ right, but Ryou made up his mind to break through his yami's barrier no matter how long it took. So he shut his eyes for a moment and rallied his powers so they blazed around him, ready to be used, and had his eyes been open he would have seen the satisfaction in his other's face.

The flames wrapped around each other in frenzied anticipation, and as he directed them at his dark Ryou unconsciously kept them pulled back, hands on the reins.

His beam punched straight through Bakura's shield as if it wasn't there, meeting no resistance. Or rather, all resistance was quashed before it even had a chance to properly protest. The impact threw the spirit backward across the room, and he was half guided, half dumped on the sofa in a dazed pile.

…………

Serafina patrolled the edges of the chasm with all the unquestioning duty of a security guard, while inside her sheer helplessness to stop what was happening chomped away at her insides. She was perfectly aware of what was happening, although she couldn't see. She didn't need the vision of the Mulefa to tell her that Dust was pouring away into a massive void, taking all the goodness of the world with it, and that she could do absolutely nothing about it. She could feel it; feel the way something akin to a light breeze rippled along her smooth skin and every time it blew away it took something with it, leaving her a little more empty.

"There has to be something we can do."

Kaisa gave what could have been an animal version of a shrug, albeit a far more graceful version, and replied almost indifferently: "Why is that?"

"Because…because there has to be…" She trailed off, unable to explain that of course there had to be an answer, that every problem had an answer, you just sometimes had to keep thinking until you found it.

"That is the attitude of fools."

"Perhaps." She didn't snap at him as she might have been expected to – they were both bad-tempered and on edge with their agitation, and it was growing as the full weight of their helplessness sunk inexorably on top of them.

Two hundred metres away Will and Lyra were walking together, hands close but not quite touching. Their daemons flew overhead, dove-shaped; Pantalaimon dark as the sky behind him and Kirjava a very pure white, with a neat trimmed crest of dark red feathers. An unfamiliar aura enveloped their people below; it was like that queer, self-conscious silence when you want to talk but feel you must wait for the other person to begin. Lyra wanted to open her mouth, but knew that if she did only nonsense would come out, for how could one long so much to talk and yet know nothing of what they wanted to say?

It was easier for Will, if only a little: he knew what he wanted. What he wanted was Lyra, just Lyra, no one else, but he wasn't sure why or how to tell her or even if he should. Kirjava was a puppet to his agitation, flying in ever-increasing circles, leaving a bewildered Pan to stare bemusedly after her.

Finally Lyra broke the stillness vibrating uneasily around them, muffling their movements and voices, and whispered, "Will…we…have to talk. I-" She broke off, looking confused.

He met her eyes, and saw them widen.

"I have to tell you something," he said quietly, and felt suddenly guilty at his own feelings, at the excitement that had briefly flared when she had whispered, _we have to talk._

Queer interval of silence. She looked down at the ground; looked at her fingernails; looked at her daemon - anywhere but at him. "…I know."

"You do?"

"At least, I…I think I do. Because I…I knew, when we on the mountain and you were talking to Pan, I knew then that…I…" She looked up to meet his eyes again.

And suddenly it was if she had been shown a mirror of her own face, because she knew the longing and the want she could see in his eyes were reflected in her own, only it wasn't reflected-

…………

"The Dust!" Kaisa exclaimed suddenly, and Serafina was so unused to hearing him surprised or indeed show any loss of his composure that it was several moments before she realised who had spoken.

There was a flash of golden light, leaving minuscule yellow orbs winking in her vision, and she took a step back involuntary.

"What is it doing?"

"I don't know." He was calm again already, flapping over to her. His tone, previously tight with urgency and astonishment, was now sedate. One had to keep up appearances.

"It's stopped, hasn't it?"

"Yes, I think so." Serafina's cascade of fair hair was blown back by the draught created by the movements of his wings, as Kaisa pushed himself up until he was hovering at just above head level.

"This is amazing," his witch marvelled. "What could have caused it?" As she spoke they were both hurrying towards where they had last seen Will and Lyra.

"Ah." Kaisa flapped back, black eyes bottomless and devoid of expression. "I might have guessed." There was a slight hint of scorn sharpening his voice.

"What-" On seeing what her daemon had just seen, Serafina drew back, a small, slightly sad smile on her face, and beckoned him away. "It had to happen sometime."

"They're in love." There was definitely a sort of derisive scorn in his tone now.

"Of course."

…………

"Ye Gods." The spirit of the Millennium Ring got slowly to his feet, a little less elegantly than usual. "It seems that, after all that has happened, I have still underestimated you."

"It's all right." Ryou watched as his yami brushed himself down. "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to. I was actually holding back as much as I could-" He was starting to babble.

Bakura raised an eyebrow at his last sentence, but gave vent to nothing more than a crisp, "Indeed."

"Are you certain I didn't hurt you?"

"Yes, I'm certain. But I think that will be enough for one day."

Ryou gave an embarrassed grin, but said nothing.

The almost obscenely cheerful doorbell could be heard ringing its persistent donging through the house.

"I'll get it." Bakura crossed over to the lounge door. There was the sound of the door being opened, and his light heard him say, "I thought you weren't allowed out?"

"It's never stopped me before." Malik stepped in, and said, "What have you been up to? Your hair looks even more erratic than usual."

The spirit scowled, devil-horns waving comically as he turned and gestured at the lounge door. "Just get in there before I phone your sister."

"You'd better not. I'm supposed to be grounded."

"Why?" Ryou questioned curiously as he made his way across the room to greet him.

"Well, after listening to my various excuses about where I'd been for the past two weeks, she decided I had run away and told me I was grounded for making her so worried."

"Oh dear."

Malik shrugged, completely unconcerned. "It isn't a big deal. She'll get over it. So, what have you two been up to? And why does Bakura look as if he's just been to the Shadow Realm and back?"

"He's been teaching me how to use my powers," Ryou explained, as his yami shot Malik a dirty look.

"Oh. Cool." The Egyptian still sounded nonchalant, but there was an undercurrent of wariness in his voice. "What can you do?"

"So far: just summoning Duel Monsters and shielding." Ryou gave his other a wicked stare, unaware of how like his yami he looked. "I think I tired him out."

The spirit settled for folding his arms and glaring warningly.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"Something with alcohol in, if you have any."

"I live in this house too. Of course there is alcohol."

Affectionately: "See, this is why I miss you, 'Kura."

"Just because you live with someone who can see the future and therefore knows instantly if you've sneaked beer into the house?"

"Something like that."

Ryou shook his head to himself and headed into the kitchen.

He wasn't sure exactly where his yami kept the alcohol, but knew he had several storage places for it in case Ryou ever took it into his head to try and confiscate it all. In reality this would never happen, as Ryou would never waste his time on a task so hopeless – it was almost as bad as asking his yami exactly how many pointy objects he owned.

He decided his best bet was to try the fridge first and, failing that, the loose floorboards in his room.

Luckily there was no need, as a quick search of the fridge yielded a crate's worth of beer. There were also copious amounts of vodka, of which his yami had warned him that if he so much as looked at them, he would be polishing the Ring for the rest of his life. Ryou wasn't sure why he had said this – he didn't really have much interest in vodka anyway. It wasn't bad with coke, but otherwise didn't seem to have much taste. Wine was much nicer – at least it tasted of something else apart from firewater. He suspected that this was why his yami hated it.

Ryou pulled out a pack of beer, then decided he was being wildly optimistic if he expected his yami and Malik would only consume four cans between them, and took out another. He turned, laden with beer, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. The packs of beer fell unheeded from his arms.

"How clumsy." Someone bent down and caught them all before they hit the ground, someone with reflexes so quick that they retrieved the packs barely after they had left Ryou's arms.

"It would have been _such_ a waste of beer." The person deposited them in Ryou's arms again, keeping one back. He turned it from side to side, examining it. "At least the Tomb Robber has good taste." The can was opened and knocked back like water.

During all this, Ryou simply stared. After a minute he realised his jaw was hanging open and closed it. After another minute he realised he was still holding the packs of beer, and dumped then back down on the counter.

"…What are you doing here?" The words, barely discernible, came out in a hoarse whisper.

"What, like I can't drink someone else's beer if I want to?" Yami Malik tossed the can in the bin without looking at it. "Ra, not even a weakling like you could get pissed on that crap. It's no wonder the Tomb Robber can drink so much of it." He regarded the packs with scorn. "Hasn't he got anything stronger?"

A high-pitched sound.

"The fridge, right?" He crossed over and opened the door. Ryou watched as he surveyed its contents with disparagement, before his gaze fell on the vodka. "Hmm."

"You can't touch that!" Ryou gasped suddenly, shaken out of his fear. "My yami will kill me!"

A shrug. "Then it will save me having to do it, won't it?"

Ryou watched, hypnotised, as the yami poured himself a glass of Bakura's vodka. "What the hell are you waiting for, for me to toast you or something?" He drunk it, gave a small sigh of satisfaction, and placed the glass back down. "Now that's more like it."

Ryou let out a squeak and, turning around, made a dash for the door. There was a muffled _whoosh_ and Yami Malik appeared in front of him, blocking his path. He had covered the distance in less than a second. "I'm not _that_ boring, am I?"

"N-No…"

"Goodie." He sounded genuinely pleased.

Ryou suddenly noticed that he was slurring his words, very slightly. "You're drunk." And he realised what a stupid thing he had just said.

"No I'm not. The alcohol just makes me high. But that's okay. For you, anyway. I'm not so violent when I'm high."

"Oh." Ryou had still decided that he was going to get away from him as quickly as possible.

"That is, unless you make me angry. And I get angry pretty quickly."

The light had already made up his mind that he was in a dream. The feeling of surreality was already there. And there was no way that he could be talking to Malik's yami, who everyone called a psycho, and still be in one piece.

(Y-)

His vision swam and he reached blindly for something to hold on to. Dimly, he realised that Yami Malik had just kicked him.

"Idiotic weakling. You try that again and I won't bother with all this talking bullshit, I'll just kill you."

"Why-"

"And I'm only talking to you in the first place because I find you more interesting than the rest of the weaklings in this Ra-damned city. But if you're just going to scream for the Tomb Robber I may as well just get rid of you now."

Ryou stared blankly at him, while his mind raced to think what Yami Malik could possibly find interesting about him. Oh, wait, he knew. His shadow powers. Great.

Sudden thought: _Since he finds them so interesting maybe I could give him a demonstration. Say, trapping him in the Shadow Realm?_

Out loud: "I'm not going to scream for help."

"Good." The spirit poured himself another glass before perching on the edge of the dishwasher, legs crossed. Between sips: "Don't get the idea that I like you or anything. You may have shadow-powers, but you're still really annoying. And I'm still going to get you one day. Probably not today, though. I'll wait until you and your powers have grown. Then maybe we can have a face-off. That would be exciting. Or maybe I'll get you from behind. Depends what I feel like at the time."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Don't you get smart with me." Yami Malik stared moodily into his glass, but his eyes weren't following the swirl of the liquid. They were staring fixedly at a point near the bottom, unwavering almost to the point of looking glazed. There was a look of such complete and utter blankness in his eyes that Ryou actually started to feel worried.

The word that defined what Yami Malik was in right now was _catatonia, _but that was really only a metaphor because there _was_ no way of describing it, other than he had completely _blanked._ And something of this communicated itself uneasily to Ryou: that perhaps Malik's yami had slipped even further into the fantasy worlds which he had built around himself; or maybe that he wasn't even at that level of consciousness, that perhaps he was in his own private oblivion and might stay in it forever.

Or he might come out at any moment.

He did.

Looking up slowly, an expression of faint surprise just visible on the sharply pointed features, as if astonished that the world was still there. And when he spoke his words were even more slurred, as if part of him were still in the _blankness._

"You don't half stare at people."

Ryou mumbled an apology and looked at the ground.

"How old are you?"

He blinked; looking up, he said uncertainly, "Sixteen, why?"

"Because-" At the pause Ryou thought he must have blanked again, but he realised after a moment that Yami Malik was simply toying idly with his glass, which was now empty. "-Because as you mature your powers will too. Sixteen. Hmm. Not too bad."

"What?"

"Just trying to work out how strong you'll get. I don't want you to be stronger than me. If you're going to end up stronger than me I may as well kill you now." He continued to rock the glass from side to side. "So. Maybe three or four years before they reach their peak. It might be close. But then again, it might not. And I'm far more experienced than you anyway." His voice suddenly took on a dreamy tone. "You might be able to kill people just by thinking about it."

"Oh God."

"Never going to fall asleep again?"

"I don't sleepwalk anymore," Ryou snapped.

"You don't have to. Imagine if you had a nightmare, and in it appears the Tomb Robber, or my hikari, or the Pharaoh's Pet. And imagine they tried to kill you or something. It's a nightmare; anything could happen. And say you were so frightened you wished they would die, just for a second. And then you wake up and you find the Ring is gone."

Ryou trembled.

Yami Malik was giggling, the sound made all the worse for its hysterical note partially caused by the vodka. "Oh, your _face._ You look terrified." He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Not a problem, seeing as he was immortal, but still disturbing to witness.

Ryou was shivering uncontrollably, lost in thoughts of what he might end up doing just because of a second's rash thought. What if he did end up killing someone that way?

Suddenly Yami Malik's laughter was abruptly cut off, and Ryou looked up to see he had become transparent, just as Bakura called from the hallway – "You living in that kitchen?"

Ryou's heart nearly stopped as he spied the empty glass and half-finished bottle of vodka, and almost without thinking he shoved the glass in the sink and the bottle in the fridge, just as his yami appeared.

_Remember, you tell him I'm here and I'll kill him first. Then you._

Ryou looked at him uncertainly. _What did you do?_

_Reverted to my spirit form. I confess I had rather hoped you would be able to see me. Normally only my own light can. But it seems your talents are not purely shadow-based._

The light had less than a second to ponder on this, before Bakura looked at him sharply and said, "What the hell were you doing in here? You've been here nearly twenty minutes."

"I…"

"For Ra's sake, I didn't hide the beer _that_ well. Wait, you looked in the fridge though, right?"

He nodded.

"I never keep the best stuff in there anyway." The Ring-spirit opened it, and Ryou looked in a panic at Yami Malik, who gazed impassively back.

_Your problem._

"Yami, w-wait. I took out the beer already-"

"Yes, but by now I need something stronger." He started running his eye over the bottles, and Ryou was certain his heart _had_ stopped by now, and that he was about to asphyxiate.

"…Wait."

Ryou shook as his yami straightened up. "One's missing."

_Does he bloody well keep a count of each one?_ the teenager thought in belated horror.

"…Ryou, what the hell is this?" Bakura slowly withdrew the half-empty bottle.

"It…it's a bottle."

He was grabbed by the hair. "I _know_ it's a fucking bottle; don't try and be clever. _Why_ is it only half-full?"

"…I…"

_He isn't very nice towards you, is he? Tut tut. And he's supposed to have changed as well. Maybe I should get him off you?_

_Leave him alone!_

_As you wish._

"…I…drank it."

Bakura loosened his grip and Ryou stepped out of reach, wincing. The yami stared at him, suspicion lacing his words like poison.

"You drank vodka? Straight from the bottle?"

"Y-Yes." He prayed his yami wouldn't look in the sink.

Bakura pulled him closer, by the shirt collar this time, so that their faces nearly touched. After a moment his eyes narrowed. "You don't smell like you've been drinking."

"…I had some gum afterwards."

Bakura shoved him backwards in disgust. "Don't lie to me, hikari. Or at least have the guts to do it properly. You did not drink my vodka. Correct?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. So, what did you do with it? Chuck it down the sink?"

_I should hope not. It tasted expensive. Not that he probably paid for it._

"No…"

"Then what happened?"

"…I…"

"We can do this for the rest of the day, light. Until you give me some answers. And after a while Malik's going to come in and wonder what the fuck is going on. And then I'll tell him. Or you can tell him. Because I'm going to find out what you've been doing."

_Oh, are you?_

Ryou was really wishing Yami Malik would shut up; it was bad enough trying to think of a reason why the bottle could be half-empty without being distracted by the spirit's comments. Although that was probably why he was saying them.

Then, as Bakura had predicted, Malik's voice floated through the room. "Is the beer going on a rampage or something? Or is there some other reason why you two have been in here for ten minutes?" He came in, violet eyes taking in Ryou, Bakura, and-

_"Yami?"_

The spirit looked up. _Shit._

Then, a moment later: _…Hello, hikari. _

He then vanished.

"What…what did he do?" Malik whispered.

"Just…talked. And drank some vodka." Ryou didn't know why, but he felt like laughing when he said it. It came out hysterical.

His yami said clearly, "Ryou, shut up."

Silence.

"So the Psycho was here? In _my _house? Drinking _my_ vodka?"

"Y-Yes." Ryou was rapidly feeling as if he'd helped the spirit do it.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me? Instead of letting me get angry with you?"

"…He said he'd kill you if I told you."

"…I can beat that bastard," the spirit said very quietly. It sounded as if it were himself, and not Ryou, who he was trying to convince. Then, in a more normal tone: "Why didn't you send him to the Shadow Realm? You could easily have done it."

"…I…wasn't sure if I could have done it."

"You could at least have tried, instead of just standing there!" his yami exploded. The thought of The Psycho drinking his best vodka while his light watched was obviously putting him in a furious mood. "But _no,_ you have to watch him do it, just like the useless little fu-"

"I'm _sorry!"_ Ryou yelled back at him. "I know you think I'm a coward and you're right, because I am! I didn't do anything because I was scared of him and because I didn't want him to hurt you! So I'm ever so _sorry_ and next time I'll make sure I tell him to go to hell just so you have something to get pissed with on the next night!"

Silence again.

"Look, it isn't about the vodka. I can get plenty more of it. What's pissing me off is-" Bakura suddenly stopped. "Ra, I don't even know what is pissing me off anymore. Something about the fact that you would lie to me about the Psycho being two metres away because you think that the alternative is him sending me to the Shadow Realm. I'm not _that_ easy to get rid of."

Malik yawned. "From what I can work out, it's pretty simple: your pride has taken a bit of a bashing. Must be quite a new sensation for an egotist like you. And now that you've finally worked out that Ryou hasn't done anything wrong, which we all knew ages ago, why not just apologise to him and go steal some more vodka?"

Bakura shrugged, looking slightly ashamed. To Ryou: "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean to. Well, I _did_ mean to, but I regret it now."

"It's okay."

The spirit looked as if he wanted to give him an awkward hug, just to show that he meant it, but his eyes shifted to Malik and he gave an apologetic smile.

"I think I'll have to go now. Isis has already tried phoning my mobile twice. And-" He now looked extremely embarrassed. "I'm really sorry about my yami."

Ryou shrugged. "He isn't all that bad." At the disbelieving looks from the two Egyptians, he went on, "Well, apart from the death threats and the whole crazy thing. He could be worse. Although I'm not sure how."

They walked together to the front door, just as Malik's mobile phone rang again, belting out the tune to Linkin Park's _Runaway._ He looked at the screen and sighed. "Damn." On pressing the 'answer' option, they all heard the furious screech of Isis Ishtar screaming down the phone.

"Um, sis?"

_"Where in the name of Osiris have you been? I was so **worried!** Get back home now!"_

"Okay." He quickly disconnected her, wincing. _"Definitely _time for me to go."

"Someone's going to have a hard time when they get back."

"I'll be all right." Malik climbed on his motorbike, pulling on a helmet. "See you both some time."

"Sayonora."

He sped off, at a speed which was most certainly not legal.

Ryou and Bakura made their way back into the lounge, both awkwardly.

Slowly: "Aibou?"

"Ye- what? You just said the 'a' word. You _never_ say that."

"I know. I thought I would give it a try."

"How does it feel?" Ryou asked curiously.

His yami pulled a face. "A bit strange. I feel really gay."

"Are you?"

"I don't think so, no. Anyway…aibou, do you want to do something together today? I can't think of anything much so we just could watch T.V or something."

"Okay. Whatever you want."

…………

A/N: (takes deep breath) THE END!!! Finally! And I'm really happy now because this chapter felt a lot better than the previous one, and I wanted to end with that feeling.

Ra, that had to be the most exhausting story _ever._ Over 70-damn-thousand words. I'm never doing a crossover again. Too tiring. And it restricts the plot too much. But still, I'm happy, and I'm going to savour that feeling because I don't get it a lot.


End file.
